Physical Disability, Gender, and Marriage in Jordanian Society
Main Article Content
Keywords
disability, gender, marriage
Abstract
In this article, three physically disabled Jordanian men discuss their perspectives on gender, marriage, family, and disability in Jordanian society. Their words reveal the contradictions with which they live. They refuse to marry disabled women even while they recognize their own stigmatization and oppression. They long for “real women” while absolving themselves of any guilt in the oppression of disabled women. They want wives who can provide the physical assistance they need while facing significant barriers to fulfilling their role as husband, father, and provider.
References
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Marks, D. (1999). Disability: Controversial debates and psychosocial perspectives. London: Routledge.
Meho, L. I. (2006). E-mail interviewing in qualitative research: A methodological discussion. Journal of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, 57(10), 1284-1295.
Moghadam, V. M. (2004). Patriarch in transition: Women and the changing family in the Middle East. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 137-162.
Oliver, M. (1990). The politics of disablement. London: Macmillan Education.
Olivero, N., & Lunt, P. (2004). Privacy versus willingness to disclose in e-commerce exchanges: The effect of risk awareness on the relative role of trust and control. Journal of Economic Psychology, 25(2), 243–262.
Rispler-Chaim, V. (2007). Disability in Islamic law. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
Rubin, S. E., & Roessler, R.T. (2008). Foundations of the vocational rehabilitation process. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Saxton, M. & Howe, F. (1987). With wings: An anthology of literature by and about women with disabilities. New York: The Feminist Press.
Schwalbe, M., Godwin, S., Holden, D., Schrock, D., Thompson, S., &
Wolkomir, M. (2000). Generic processes in the reproduction of inequality: An
interactionist analysis. Social Forces, 79, 419-52.
Skype (Version 5.5) [Computer software]. Luxembourg: Skype limited.
Swain, J., French, S., Barnes, C., & Thomas, C. (2004). Disabling barriers, enabling environments. London: SAGE Publications.
Turmusani, M. (2002). Disabled women in Islam: Middle Eastern perspective. Religion, Health, and Disability, 5(2/3), 73-85.
Turmusani, M. (1999). Some cultural representations of disability in Jordan: Concepts and beliefs. In B. Holzer, A. Vreede, & G. Weigt (Eds.), Disability in different cultures: Reflections on local concepts, (pp. 102-113). Bielefeld: Transcipt Verlag.
Uhlmann, A.J. (2005). Introduction: Reflections on the study of sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa. Social Analysis, 49(2), 3-15.
Zingale, J.W. (1984). The disabled as taboo: An examination of physically disabled characters in twentieth-century plays produced in New York City. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Kent State University, United States, from Dissertations & Theses. (Publication No. AAT 8429811).
Abu-Habib, L. (1997). Gender and disability: Women's experiences in the Middle East. Oxford: Oxfam.
Addlakha, R. (2007). How young people with disabilities conceptualize the body, sex and marriage in urban India: Four case studies. Sexuality & Disability, 25(3), 111-123. doi:10.1007/s11195-007-9045-9.
Ainlay, S., Coleman, L., & Becker, G. (1986). The Dilemma of difference: A multidisciplinary view of stigma. New York: Plenum.
Barakat, H. I. (1993). The Arab world: Society, culture, and state. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Braathen, S., & Kvam, M. (2008). “Can anything good come out of this mouth?” Female experiences of disability in Malawi. Disability & Society, 23(5), 461-474. doi:10.1080/09687590802177023.
Brownlow, C., & O'Dell, L. (2002). Ethical issues for qualitative research in on-line communities. Disability & Society, 17(6), 685-694.
Britt, J.H. (1988). Psychosocial aspects of being female and disabled. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 19(3), 19-23.
Bryson, V. (2004). Marxism and feminism: Can the “unhappy marriage” be saved? Journal of Political Ideologies, 9(1), 13-30. doi:10.1080/13569310320000167454
Charlton, J. (2010). The dimensions of disability oppression. In L.J. Davis (Eds.), The disability studies reader, 3rd edition (pp. 147-159). New York: Routledge.
Chenoweth, L. (1993). Invisible acts: Violence against women with disabilities. Australian Disability Review, 2, 22–28.
Crocker, J., Major, B., & Steele, C. (1998). Social stigma. In Gilbert, D., Fiske, S.T., & Lindzey, G. (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 504-553). New York: McGraw Hill.
Dalal, A. (2006). Social interventions to moderate discriminatory attitudes: The case of the physically challenged in India. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 11(3), 374-382.
Davis, M., Bolding, G., Hart, G., Sherr, L., & Elford, J. (2004). Reflecting on the experience of interviewing online: Perspectives from the internet and HIV study in London. AIDS Care, 16(8), 944-952.
Dhungana, B. (2006). The lives of disabled women in Nepal: Vulnerability without support. Disability and Society, 21(2), 133-146.
El-Islam M.F. (1983) Cultural change and intergenerational relationships in Arabian families. International Journal of Family Psychiatry, 4, 321–8.
Emmett, T., & Alant, E. (2006). Women and disability: Exploring the interface of multiple disadvantage. Development Southern Africa, 23(4), 445-460.
Fairchild, S.R. (2002). Women with disabilities: The long road to equality. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 6(2), 13-28. doi:10.1300/J137v06n02_02.
Falk, G. (2001). Stigma: How we treat outsiders. Amherst, N.Y: Prometheus Books.
Finkelstein, V. (1993). Disability: A social challenge or an administrative responsibility? In Swain, J., Finkelstein, V., French, S & Oliver M. (Eds.), Disabling barriers- enabling environments. London: Sage Publications, Open University.
Foucault, M. (1982). The subject and power. Critical Inquiry, 777-795.
Ghai, Anita. (2003). (Dis)embodied form :Issues of disabled women. New Delhi: Shakti Books.
Gharibeh, N. (2009). Disability in Arab society. In Marshall, C. (Eds.), Disabilities: Insights from across fields and around the world. Connecticut: Praeger.
Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Gray A., & Punpuing, S. (1999). Gender, sexuality and reproductive health in Thailand. Thailand: Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University.
Hanna, W.J. and Rogovsky, B. (1991). Women with disabilities: Two handicaps plus disability. Disability, Handicap and Society, 6(1), 49-63.
Hathaway, K. B. (2000). The little locksmith: A memoir. New York: Feminist Press, City University of New York.
Jones, E., Farina, A., Hastorf, A., Markus, H., Miller, D., & Scott, R. (1984). Social stigma: The psychology of marked relationships. Journal of Rehabilitation, 7(4), 229–238.
Kiani, S. (2009). Women with disabilities in the north west province of Cameroon: Resilient and deserving of greater attention. Disability & Society, 24(4), 517-531.
Ladieu, G., Leviton, G., Adler, D., & Dembo, T. (1977). Studies in adjustment to visible injuries: Social acceptance of the injured. In Marinelli, R. P., & Dell Orto, A. E. (Eds.), Psychological and social impact of physical disability (pp.142-150). NewYork: Springer.
Lakkis, S. & Thomas, E. (2003). Disability and livelihoods in Lebanon. Unpublished manuscript. LPHU.
Link, B. & Phelan, J. (2001). Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology, 27(1), 363.
Lipsky, S. (1987). Internalized oppression. Seattle, WA: Rational Island Publishers.
Marks, D. (1999). Disability: Controversial debates and psychosocial perspectives. London: Routledge.
Meho, L. I. (2006). E-mail interviewing in qualitative research: A methodological discussion. Journal of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, 57(10), 1284-1295.
Moghadam, V. M. (2004). Patriarch in transition: Women and the changing family in the Middle East. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 137-162.
Oliver, M. (1990). The politics of disablement. London: Macmillan Education.
Olivero, N., & Lunt, P. (2004). Privacy versus willingness to disclose in e-commerce exchanges: The effect of risk awareness on the relative role of trust and control. Journal of Economic Psychology, 25(2), 243–262.
Rispler-Chaim, V. (2007). Disability in Islamic law. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
Rubin, S. E., & Roessler, R.T. (2008). Foundations of the vocational rehabilitation process. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Saxton, M. & Howe, F. (1987). With wings: An anthology of literature by and about women with disabilities. New York: The Feminist Press.
Schwalbe, M., Godwin, S., Holden, D., Schrock, D., Thompson, S., &
Wolkomir, M. (2000). Generic processes in the reproduction of inequality: An
interactionist analysis. Social Forces, 79, 419-52.
Skype (Version 5.5) [Computer software]. Luxembourg: Skype limited.
Swain, J., French, S., Barnes, C., & Thomas, C. (2004). Disabling barriers, enabling environments. London: SAGE Publications.
Turmusani, M. (2002). Disabled women in Islam: Middle Eastern perspective. Religion, Health, and Disability, 5(2/3), 73-85.
Turmusani, M. (1999). Some cultural representations of disability in Jordan: Concepts and beliefs. In B. Holzer, A. Vreede, & G. Weigt (Eds.), Disability in different cultures: Reflections on local concepts, (pp. 102-113). Bielefeld: Transcipt Verlag.
Uhlmann, A.J. (2005). Introduction: Reflections on the study of sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa. Social Analysis, 49(2), 3-15.
Zingale, J.W. (1984). The disabled as taboo: An examination of physically disabled characters in twentieth-century plays produced in New York City. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Kent State University, United States, from Dissertations & Theses. (Publication No. AAT 8429811).
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Published
Aug 18, 2014
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Author Biographies
Salam Jalal
Salam Jalal, EDD recently finished his dissertation in the United States and is returning to Jordan to continue working to improve the lives of disabled people.
Susan Gabel, Wayne State University, Michigan
Susan L. Gabel, PhD is a professor and the director of the PhD in education program in the College of Educational Studies at Chapman University. Her areas of research include: global issues in disability studies, intellectual and developmental disability, and inclusive education.