Skip to main content

Watching disability: UK audience perceptions of the Paralympics, equality and social change.

Pullen, E., Jackson, D. and Silk, M., 2020. Watching disability: UK audience perceptions of the Paralympics, equality and social change. European Journal of Communication, 35 (5), 469-483.

Full text available as:

[img]
Preview
PDF (OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE)
0267323120909290 (1).pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

121kB
[img]
Preview
PDF
Watching disability EJC2020 for web.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial.

522kB

DOI: 10.1177/0267323120909290

Abstract

Despite the social change ambitions of Paralympic governing bodies and National broadcasters, there is still a shortage of evidence of where public social attitudes stand with respect to disabled bodies, and how these respond to the changing nature of Paralympic broadcasting. Based on a large-scale qualitative audience study across England and Wales, we aim to address this empirical gap. Our findings demonstrate how audiences internalise socially progressive ideas toward disability in line with Channel 4’s broadcasting strategy. These include a greater appreciation of Paralympic sport as an elite sporting event, the ‘normalisation’ of the technologically enhanced disabled body and an awareness of emerging cultural citizenship concerning disability rights-based discourses. Yet, at the same time, we evidence new, potentially damaging stigma hierarchies of disability preference framed by ‘ablenational’ sentiments. Findings are discussed within ongoing debates around mega sporting events, media audiences and disability Biopolitics.

Item Type:Article
ISSN:0267-3231
Uncontrolled Keywords:Paralympics; media audiences; sports mega events; disability; broadcasting.
Group:Bournemouth University Business School
ID Code:33836
Deposited By: Symplectic RT2
Deposited On:02 Apr 2020 15:50
Last Modified:14 Mar 2022 14:21

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

More statistics for this item...
Repository Staff Only -