Goffman and the Spoiled Learning Disability Identity In the Workplace

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Goffman and the Spoiled Learning Disability
Identity In the Workplace

• Athena Goodfellow

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Overview of Presentation

• The Transition from Learning to Common Sense
  Environments
• The LD Adult Living Outside the Advocacy Stage
• To Tell or Not Tell Complexities of
  Self-Disclosure and Its Rationale

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Goffman and the Dramaturgical Approach

• performers are not concerned with the moral
  issue of realizing standards of life but with the
  amoral issue of engineering a convincing
  impression that these standards are realized
• (Goffman, 1959, p.251)

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What is the Spoiled LD Identity?
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TRANSITION FROM LEARNING TO COMMON SENSE
ENVIRONMENTS
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The Learning Environment School

• The supportive learning environment of the
  educational system offers inclusion practices and
  resources that are needed to succeed.

• Positive perceptions of self by students with LDs
  are largely attributed to, among other factors,
  positive learning experience and social support
  from educators, parents and peers. (Gans, Ghany
  Kenny, 2003 Sze et al., 2007)

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The Common Sense Environment the Workplace

• Common sense principles that are predicated on
  profit and efficiency
• Advocacy and mitigation obligations

• Adults with learning disabilities are not simply
  children with LDs grown up (Kavale Forness,
  1996, p.34)

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PERFORMING OUTSIDE THE ADVOCACY STAGE
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The LD Adult Experience Living Outside the
Advocacy Stage

• Barriers to the front stage
• Requesting accommodations
• Denial of accommodations
• Enforcement of judicial remedies
• Barriers to the backstage
• Practicality of support websites
• Lack of financial support
• In accessible format
• Exposure of actual LD identity

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TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL THE COMPLEXITIES IN
SELF-DISCLOSURE AND ITS RATIONALE
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Whos Telling

• Roughly 55 of university graduates disclosed
  their LD at some point during the course of
  employment (Madaus, 2007, p.295).
• Between 73-90 of university graduates with a LD
  reported that their disability influences the
  quality of their work in some way or another
  (Madaus, Foley, McGuire and Ruban, 2002 Madaus,
  2007).

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The Double-edge Sword

• Disclosing

• Not Disclosing

• Covering approach
• Information control about the gravity of the
  disablement
• Management Strategies disclosure etiquette

• Passing approach
• Management Strategies compensation, protective
  capsule and purposeful concealment

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Rationale for not Disclosing ones LD
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Compensation Strategies
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What Does Goffman Think of Non-disclosure?

• Run the risk of accidental slips such as
  excessive misspelling which can cause feelings of
  sadness, isolation and anxiety.
• If the hidden LD is never discovered, we run
  the risk of getting in-deeper-ism which means
  that we become stigmatized due to false
  perceptions of our working performance.

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Self-Disclosure and Rationale

• 79 of workers that self-disclosed shout
  sympathetic others either supervisors or
  coworkers in hopes of understanding where I
  could have difficulty on the job.
• Disclosure using, according to Goffman,
  appropriate disclosure etiquette by revealing
  their disability in a matter-of-fact manner
  during casual conversation.

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What does Goffman Think of Self-disclosure ?

• Could result in succumbing to a half world where
  the disablement serves as a justification of
  the inequities in employment.
• 20 of respondents felt that negative outcomes in
  areas such as workers respectability and
  promotions were a result of their self disclosure
  (Madaus, 2007)
• Self-disclosure can be a means of claiming
  disidentifier of what it means to have an LD

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THE LEARNING DISABILITY EXPERIENCE GETTING READY
FOR A PERFORMANCE OF A LIFETIME
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Implications at the Societal Level

• Transition from School to Work
• Inclusionary Practices and Un-spoil the Meaning
  of Learning Disabilities
• Work placement in lined with Strength
• Practical Teaching Strategies
• Comprehensive Understand of Learning Style and
  Necessary Accommodations
• Mentorships
• Education about Legal and Social Provisions
• Practice of Self-advocacy

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Implications at the Individual Level

• Unanswered Timing.
• Assume that the Employer is Ignorant Rather
  than Malicious
• Use Disclosure Etiquette

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Disclosure Etiquette

• Explain in a Matter of Fact Manner
• Use Humor to Lessen Tension
• Use Tactful Pauses to Allow the Audience to
  Digest Sensitive Information
• Welcome Questions
• Express Appreciation when Offered Accommodation
  (even if they are refused)
• These strategies require that you have a
  comprehensive understanding of your learning
  strengths and weaknesses.

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THANK YOU !

• Athena Goodfellow 2009