Young people's embodied social capital and performing disability

Abstract

This paper teases out how the identities of young people with mind–body–emotional differences are performed and reproduced via their social relationships primarily within school spaces. Drawing upon the concept of embodied social capital (Holt 2008), the paper explores empirically how young people's positionings within a variety of social networks (re)produces differentially valued identity positionings which can become embodied within young people's shifting senses of self.

Keywords:

• disability
• ability
• children
• schools
• social capital
• embodiment

Acknowledgements

Huge thanks go to all the young people involved in the research, and to the teachers and youth workers who facilitated the research process. Thanks go also to the EPSRC Geographical Research Grant (administered by the RGS-IBG) that funded the project. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to the editors of the special edition and most particularly to the two anonymous reviewers for their insightful and critical comments, which greatly enhanced the paper. Any errors or omissions are my own.

Notes

Habitus is the embodied materialisation of individuals’ capitals, or ‘internalized capital’ (Bourdieu 1984, p. 114, Painter 2001, Shilling 2003). Habitus is expressed via embodied dispositions, largely subconsciously inculcated, primarily, although not exclusively, during childhood (Bourdieu and Thompson 1991).

The study was funded by an EPSRC Geographical Research Grant.

The theme of being ‘half and half’ appears to be fairly pervasive amongst young people, particularly with bodily differences. A young person in Pyer's (2007) research also claimed to be ‘half and half’.

I am not suggesting that Holly is only a product of her socio-spatial relationships. Contrary to Butler (1997) and Foucault (1990) I believe that there is an internal beyond social psyche and/or kernel of self, although would argue this cannot be unravelled from the socio-cultural operations of power (see also Callard 2003, Harrison 2008).

Putzel (1997) coined the term ‘the dark side’ of social capital.

YW indicates Youth Worker. Staff in this school insisted on the presence of a Youth Worker in discussion groups given the challenging behaviour presented by some of the young people. Although evidently the presence of another adult raises ethical concerns, youth workers agreed to maintain the confidentiality of the focus group discussions. Further, the relationships between youth workers and young people are generally more egalitarian than those between teachers and young people.