‘Mabel is Unstable’: A Feminist Disability Studies Perspective on Early-Twentieth-Century Representations of Disabled Women in Advertisements

Abstract

The representation of women with mental health issues in early twentieth century advertisements supports the stereotype of women experiencing mental health issues as 'unstable', 'unworthy' and inherently 'lacking'. This paper finds that women with mental health issues are overwhelmingly placed as lone figures that are deserving of close scrutiny and objectification by patriarchal society. A cultural model of disability is outlined as a key perspective that can be used to provide a foundation for a feminist disability studies inquiry that seeks to empower disabled women, in some small way. The medical 'gaze' dominates the representations of 'madwomen' through the persistent discourse of pharmaceutical intervention and the omnipresent message that cognitive enhancement is a necessary and 'effective' way of securing women in the home. Textual analysis suggests that the advertisements collectively carry ableist and sexist discourses that reflect hegemonic ideals of mid-twentieth-century UK society. Specifically, an application of critical discourse analysis finds that the discourses support the oppressive and ableist binary of 'sane/insane'. Intersections between gender and disability are further developed in order to shape understandings of how disabled women are repeatedly silenced through constant medication and surveillance in order to maintain the 'status quo' (Garland Thomson, 1996).

The impact of advertisements on women’s psychological and emotional states: exploring navigation and resistance of disabling stereotypes

“…Bolt (2014) suggests that until the close of the late-20th-century, people with impairments would mostly be found in charity ads -if included in the world of advertising at all. Moreover, Houston's (2016) research into the representation of women with mental health issues in early-20th-century pharmaceutical advertising highlights reinforcement of the harmful 'sane/insane' binary. As Cross (2010: 3) explains, it is important to take note of the dominant ways in which mental health issues are portrayed in the media and wider culture as they arise from and reflect 'everyday perceptions' held in society.…”

A Gestalt and Semiotic Analysis of Brand Communication on Disability Inclusion: The Case of Malaysia and The US

“…In the US, however, Nielsen reported that PwDs only appear in one percent of the advertisements despite having 26 percent of the population with disabilities (Neff, 2021). Including PwDs in brand communication may also help shape people's perceptions of a brand and the continuous attraction of customers to it (Houston, 2016). It is apparent that positive depictions of PwDs in a company's advertising campaign and branding could improve a brand's image and promote its disability inclusion as a subset of diversity inclusion (Moriarty et al, 2019).…”