Exploring the Influence of Respectability Politics in Special Schooling on the Disability Identities of South Africans with Visual Impairments
Introduction, Background, and Rationale: Respectability politics is a concept in which marginalised groups conform to societal norms to gain acceptance from the dominant group (Harris, 2003). The influence of conservative and medicalised ideas in special schools on blind and visually impaired (VI) learners might cause adoption of respectability politics in adult disabled identities, potentially contributing to emotional concealment and unreal relationships in which blind and VI persons cannot express themselves honestly or authentically. Consequently, this study explores how respectability discourses impact the lives of blind and VI South African adults who attended special schools, addressing psychological well-being and potential for collective activism. Method: The research design is qualitative, exploratory and social constructivist. I made use of snowball sampling to recruit 16 South African adults with visual impairments who attended special schools, and conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews via Google Meet, which I recorded and subsequently had transcribed with the permission of the participants. Findings: Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged across all interviews. First, the theme of modes of control in a conservative culture highlights how strict social and behavioral norms within special schools were used (and may currently still be used) to regulate students' behavior, often reinforcing a conservative understanding of disability that prioritises conformity over self-expression. Second, the theme of modes of performance in identity framing demonstrates that people who are products of special schools often felt compelled to adapt and present themselves in ways that aligned with (sometimes conflicting) societal demands and expectations of desirable or respectable behavior, which may significantly influence how they perceive and express their disability identities in the present. Third, the theme of double binds and double-edged swords captures the paradoxical pressures faced by people who attended special schools, during their school careers and beyond, often forcing those individuals into negotiations where they would have no other recourse than to choose between two undesirable outcomes, namely, to sacrifice social status on the one hand, or to sacrifice the psychological and emotional energy involved in conforming to expected norms, and therefore their authenticity, on the other. Finally, the theme of long-term psychological effects reveals the enduring impact that these schooling experiences may have had on individuals' self-regard, confidence levels, and sense of identity, with many participants reporting a lasting internal conflict between societal expectations and their authentic selves, and subsequently, persistent mental health-related challenges in the case of some participants. Conclusion: These findings underscore the lasting influence of respectability politics on the disability identities of blind and VI individuals who are products of special schools in South Africa, with implications not only for educational practices, but also for the way in which blind and VI persons and mental health professionals understand and address these challenges, as well as how they conduct themselves in advocacy spaces.
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