Exploring internalized ableism using critical race theory
Abstract
This paper is an attempt to theorize about the way disabled people live with ableism, in particular internalized ableism. Typically literature within disability studies has concentrated on the practices and production of disablism, examining attitudes and barriers that contribute to the subordination of people with disabilities in society. My exploration occurs through examining the insights of critical race theory (CRT) and the contribution that CRT can further make to thinking through the processes, formation and consequences of ableism. A focal concern is the possible ways that the concept of internalized racism, its deployment in CRT and application to critical disability studies. The paper is interested in working through points of difference between the way internalized racism/ableism are mediated in the processes of subjectification and identifying points of convergence that can benefit dialogue across varied sites of scholarship. The author concludes that the study of ableism instead of disability/disablement may produce different research questions and sites of study.
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Autistic people often experience internalised ableism.
“Indeed, autistic people have historically faced oppression [27] and, perhaps as a result, often experience internalised ableism–when disabled people internalise society’s prejudices and act accordingly [28].”
From Autistic adults’ views and experiences of requesting and receiving workplace adjustments in the UK (2022) · cites this paper as [28]
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- Authors
- Campbell, F. A. K.
- Venue
- Disability & Society
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2008-03
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 151-162
- ISSN
- 0267-4645 (ISSN-L)
- 0968-7599
- 1360-0508
- OpenAlex
- W2070508315
- Cited by
- 576
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2026: 42 · 2025: 91 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 61 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 60 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 12.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Disability & Society (publishedVersion)
- Discovery Research Portal (University of Dundee) (submittedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Rights and Representation
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Critical Race Theory in Education
- Keywords
- internalized racism, critical race theory, critical disability studies, ableism, people with disabilities, subjectification, disability studies
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