Gênero e deficiência: uma história feminina de ruptura e superação de vulnerabilidade

• Autor(a) principal: Farias, Adenize Queiroz de
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFPB
• Texto Completo: https://repositorio.ufpb.br/jspui/handle/tede/4599
• topic: Gênero; Deficiência; Resiliência; Múltipla vulnerabilidade; Gender; Disabilities; Multiple Vulnerability; Resilience; CNPQ::CIENCIAS HUMANAS::EDUCACAO

This dissertation focus on the ability that women with disability have for resisting and overcoming the effects of adverse experiences linked to gender and disability features. This research is carried out in the field of Cultural Studies once these experiences provoke unbalance for this social group and, therefore, set the ground for the risk for gradual, but systematic, vulnerability. The theory of resilience has been adopted as a main frame of reference in order to analyse data that was gathered by applying life history methodology based on which the first blind teacher in Brazil, Dorina Nowill was has been interviewed and whose life provides the answer for this study´s research question, that is, ´what are those factors that determine the process of breaking down the vulnerability of women with disability?´ The findings show that even though immersed in experiences of adversity, women with disability can withdraw the necessary energy for individual human development and growth of groups from these negative and unbalance provoking experiences. This dissertation shows that several factors are presents in the process of breaking up the cycle of vulnerability of women with disability and, amongst these, it reveals four distinct dimensions: (a) dimension of person: the presence of feelings of self esteem, self confidence and ability to overcome victimization in parallel to raising awareness of her/his role as an agent of transformation; (b) dimension process that shows the relevance of the individual initiative, self determination and leadership as well discussed in the history of life of Dorina; (c) dimension of context: the findings show important emerging factors that favours the rupture with the condition of vulnerability such as social and cultural environments that are conducive to change, as for instance, support from others, access to education and labour market and family attitude; and (d) dimension of time based on which the features of each period of time consists of a stimuli for processes of changes, of ruptures, such as, relevant political changes in the country and the emergence of the feminist movement and the people with disability movement, both committed to fighting for the emancipation and equal rights. This research contributes to the theoretical and methodological advancement in the field of Cultural Studies that should also include studies on disability issues. In the same line it will contribute to the inclusion of this theme in the field of Gender Studies and Disability Studies by providing to both a new perspective on the participation and social representation of women with disability in these two areas of knowledge.