Imposed disability identity: Disability as a social construction process

The study investigates the reflections of the meanings attributed to disability phenomenon in Turkish society on the identity definitions of the disabled individuals as an untackled topic. Assuming that the disability is a socially constructed phenomenon, the study examines the reflection of the meanings attributed to disability by society on the personal identity definitions of the disabled individuals, as well as ways/efforts for coping with such meanings in the scope of Turkey. In this respect, the study aims to answer the questions (i) Whether the social perception of disability stemming from cultural structures, psychological attitudes, and cognitive patterns impose an identity to disabled individuals; (ii) Whether the meanings attributed to disability by society influence disabled individuals' personal identity definition processes; (iii) What sort of ways disabled individuals apply for preserving their identities in the face of meanings attributed to disability phenomenon. In this qualitative study, the data was gathered by semi-structured interviews. The sample of the study was composed of 37 participants, including 14 visually disabled, 14 orthopedically disabled, and 9 deaf individuals. The study sample contained 20 women and 17 men participants between age of 21-57. The participants were asked 19 open-ended questions in the interviews and the findings of the research were presented within 7 main themes. The data presented under the themes shows (I.) disabled individuals' definitions of their identity differs from definitions of society; II. disability is not a primary identity reference for disabled individuals, whereas it is the primary identity reference for society; III. disability does not bear the same meaning for disabled individuals and society; Iv. imposed disability identity has some reflections such as anger, hurt, discomfort, fatigue, and hopelessness in the emotional world of the participants; V. it has cognitive effects on participants' some decisions such as job selection, expectations, mate selection, friend selection; VI. imposed disability identity has negatif effects on social relations, belongings and roles of the disabled individuals; VII. disabled individuals struggle with imposed identity by going into some efforts such as proving themselves, being extroverted, working and productivity. The study has suggested the following results. (i) The meanings attributed to disability and reaction forms to this phenomenon confront disabled individuals with an identity imposition. (ii) This identity imposition influences disabled individuals' their identity definitions. In this regard, disabled individuals follow a kind of identity management strategy in holding their own genuine personal identities and imposed disability identity together. (iii) Disabled individuals go into a range of efforts in order to cope with imposed disability identity and such efforts proves that they have a consciousness about the existence of imposed disability identity. (iv) It is possible to argue that there is a positive relationship between the visibility level of disability and encountering with social perceptions producing the imposed disability identity.