Solidarity and Reciprocity Between People With and Without Disabilities

Abstract

Governments of contemporary welfare states call upon citizens to care for people with psychiatric or intellectual disabilities. This is deemed sensible and morally just. However, social–psychological theory suggests that stereotyping may stand in the way of engaging into contact. Sociological theory suggests that the giving of help is based on either balanced or generalized reciprocity. Balanced reciprocity depends on one's ability to ‘pay back’, which people with disabilities may have trouble doing. Generalized reciprocity depends on close social bonds, while people with disabilities often have fewer social bonds than other citizens. The current study aimed to find out whether citizens—despite socio‐psychological and sociological theories expecting otherwise—enter into supporting relationships with people with intellectual or psychiatric disabilities. Although we found socio‐psychological and sociological theory to be largely correct, we also found people to be more creative than theory assumes. A smile can be experienced as a return gift, thus including people with intellectual disabilities in the web of balanced reciprocity. Some people create new social bonds to include people with disabilities: they feel close to them because they had a job in the healthcare sector or because they had a family member with a disability. In disadvantaged neighbourhoods, recognition of each other's problems can create feelings of similarity and concomitant reciprocity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The care receivers perspective: How care‐dependent people struggle with accepting help from family members, friends and neighbours

“…Various studies in western countries show that people try to live up to the norm of the specific relationship (Bredewold, Tonkens, & Trappenburg, 2016;Ekeh, 1974;Komter, 2007;Uehara, 1990Uehara, , 1995.…”

“…Various studies in western countries show that people try to live up to the norm of the specific relationship (Bredewold, Tonkens, & Trappenburg, ; Ekeh, ; Komter, ; Uehara, , ). These studies indicate that people find it difficult to ask for help, regardless of how desperately they need it.…”

Struggling with sameness and strangeness: (Non)-encounters between people with and without intellectual disabilities in two Dutch neighbourhoods

“…Our research found that most citizens without intellectual disabilities (two-thirds of the group we examined) have no contact at all with people who have an intellectual disability. Where the two groups do meet, these tend to be superficial contacts in the street, during which they greet one another and chat (for these outcomes, see Bredewold et al, 2016aBredewold et al, , 2016b). An important reason for the failure to initiate contact is the struggle with difference.…”

“…In this section, we explain how our project was designed methodologically (the methods have been described before; see Bredewold et al, 2016aBredewold et al, , 2016b. This study was conducted between January and December 2012, in two neighbourhoods in the medium-sized city of Zwolle in the Netherlands.…”

“…As this paper focuses on the experiences of people when interacting with one another, interviews and participative observations were particularly helpful. (For the outcomes of the survey, see Bredewold et al, 2016aBredewold et al, , 2016b.…”