“Superdisabilities” vs “disabilities”? Theorizing the role of ableism in (mis)representational mythology of disability in the marketplace

ABSTRACT

People with disabilities (PWD) constitute one of the largest minority groups. While recognition and inclusion of this group in the marketplace has seen improvement, the effects of (mis)representation of PWD in shaping the discourse on fostering marketplace inclusion of socially marginalized consumers remain little understood. By extending the theory of ableism into the context of PWD representation and applying it to the analysis of the We’re the Super humans advertisement developed for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, this paper examines the relationship between the (mis)representation and the inclusion/exclusion discourse. By uncovering that PWD misrepresentations can partially mask and/or redress the root causes of exclusion experienced by PWD in their lived realities, it contributes to the research agenda on the transformative role of consumption cultures perpetuating harmful, exclusionary social perceptions of marginalized groups versus contributing to advancement of their inclusion.

KEYWORDS:

• Ableism
• (dis)ability
• (mis)representation
• advertising
• inclusion/exclusion
• “supercrip” stereotyping

Notes on contributors

Shauna Kearney theorizes and examines the role of ableism in the marketplace inclusion/exclusion experiences of people with disabilities, in the context of 2012 (UK) and 2016 (Brazil) Paralympic Games. Her empirical study (in progress), based on a conceptualization integrating ableism with socio-spatial theory of marketplace inclusion, examines whether and how para-sport events create a lasting legacy to improve well-being of consumers with disabilities. Applying the intersectional research approach, she also examines potential impact of different types of impairment and other cultural characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity) on the overall experience of para-sport events.

Ian Brittain (PhD) is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Business in Society at Coventry Business School. He is an internationally recognised expert in the study of disability and Paralympic sport and has attended the last five summer Paralympic Games in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London and Rio. He is an experienced researcher and is widely published in a variety of books/book chapters and journals. Dr Brittain is an active reviewer for a number of journals, book publishers and funding bodies including the Economic and Social Research Council and the International Olympic Committee. He has presented at a variety of national and international conferences and has been successful in a number of large grant applications. These include a Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme bid worth €852.600 on managing the impact of mega-event.

Eva Kipnis (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer in International Marketing at the University of Sheffield, UK. Her research examines the relationship between cultural meanings of brands and consumer identity dynamics in multicultural markets, with a particular focus on multicultural consumer identities, cultural (mis)representation in branding and advertising and consumer inclusion/exclusion perceptions and cognitions, and the role of organizations in facilitating activism in consumptionscapes. Her work appeared in outlets such as Journal of Business Research, Marketing Theory, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, and Consumption, Markets & Culture among others.

Notes

1 Full synopsis available from the corresponding author on request.

2 Raw semantic maps available from the corresponding author on request.