Social categorizations, social comparisons and stigma: Presentations of self in people with learning difficulties

Abstract

Self-categorization theory stresses the importance of the context in which the meta-contrast principle is proposed to operate. This study is concerned with how 'the pool of psychologically relevant stimuli' (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher & Wetherell, 1987, p. 47) comprising the context is determined. Data from interviews with 33 people with learning difficulties were used to show how a positive sense of self might be constructed by members of a stigmatized social category through the social worlds that they describe, and therefore the social comparisons and categorizations that are made possible. Participants made downward comparisons which focused on people with learning difficulties who were less able or who displayed challenging behaviour, and with people who did not have learning difficulties but who, according to the participants, behaved badly, such as beggars, drunks and thieves. By selection of dimensions and comparison others, a positive sense of self and a particular set of social categorizations were presented. It is suggested that when using self-categorization theory to study real-world social categories, more attention needs to be paid to the involvement of the perceiver in determining which stimuli are psychologically relevant since this is a crucial determinant of category salience.

How do people with learning disabilities experience and make sense of the ageing process?

“…It has been found that self-comparison plays an important role in the self-esteem of people with learning disabilities (Crabtree and Rutland, 2001), with strategies including making downward comparisons to compare the self favourably with people who are less able, and making lateral comparisons emphasising similarity to people without learning disabilities helping to maintain self-esteem (Dagnan & Sandhu, 1999;Finlay & Lyons, 2000). As older people in the general population seem to engage in self-enhancing social comparisons (Rickabaugh & Tomlinson-Keasey, 1997;Sherrard, 1998), it seems reasonable to assume that the findings of studies such as Finlay and Lyons (2000) could be applicable to older people with learning disabilities although the studies have not focused on older people specifically. Finlay and Lyons (2000) make the point that someone who may seem to observers to have a stigmatised identity may not actually experience their identity in this way.…”

“…As older people in the general population seem to engage in self-enhancing social comparisons (Rickabaugh & Tomlinson-Keasey, 1997;Sherrard, 1998), it seems reasonable to assume that the findings of studies such as Finlay and Lyons (2000) could be applicable to older people with learning disabilities although the studies have not focused on older people specifically. Finlay and Lyons (2000) make the point that someone who may seem to observers to have a stigmatised identity may not actually experience their identity in this way. The stigmatised identity depends on a certain set of comparisons being made, and the individual may view different comparison dimensions as salient, and make a different set of comparisons that are more useful to them and represent them in a more positive way.…”

“…Engaging in comparisons with non-disabled peers has been shown to lower self evaluations among adolescents with learning disabilities (Crabtree & Rutland, 2001). People with learning disabilities often do not categorise themselves using the label of "learning disabilities" (Finlay & Lyons, 2005) and may protect their self-esteem by focusing on their similarities with people who do not have learning disabilities, or on comparisons with other people with learning disabilities who are less able (Finlay & Lyons, 2000).There is some evidence that people with learning disabilities try to protect their self-esteem by making downward social comparisons to people considered inferior (Dagnan & Sandhu, 1999) or devaluing attributes on which they perform poorly (Crabtree & Rutland, 2001), but in some settings there may be limited opportunities for people with learning disabilities to make downward comparisons, and they may lack protective factors such as a range of valued roles (Dagnan & Sandhu, 1999).…”

Self-presentations and intellectual disability

“…Besides, she claimed that other people were more intellectually disabled than she was, and that this applied to people who she defined as 'people who are living in group homes and needs a lot of help.' Several authors suggest that some intellectually disabled people tend to describe themselves by comparing their abilities to others who need more support (Dagnan and Sandhu 2001;Finlay and Lyons 2000). It seemed that Frida was using the same kind of comparison in order to be seen as 'almost ordinary.…”

Obraz siebie i małżeństwa u współmałżonków osób z niepełnosprawnością ruchową. Perspektywa stygmatyzacji przeniesionej

“…Uwzględniając znaczenie porównania społecznego w doświadczaniu skutków stygmatyzacji, podkreślają jego moderującą rolę w relacji między percepcją przejawów stygmatyzujących a samooceną (por. Finlay, Lyons 2000). Dostrzeżona rola czynników pośredniczących w wyjaśnianiu związku między stygmatyzacją a samooceną ujawniła jego niezwykle złożony charakter.…”