Redhead, Amy Louise (2023) Representing Down's Syndrome in Documentary: Exploring independence, relationships and prenatal screening in the documentary genre. PhD thesis, University of Leeds.
Abstract
This thesis considered the role and significance of documentaries in public debates surrounding Down's syndrome and the impact they may have on the personhood of individuals with Down's syndrome. Cultural representations of Down's syndrome within documentaries were explored to consider how they might shape or contribute to understanding Down’s syndrome, as well as people’s lived experiences. While there has been a significant shift in the visibility of people with Down’s syndrome in mainstream media, misrepresentation remains an issue. An analysis conducted with co-researchers revealed that representations based on normative, ableist ideologies construct distorted, often stereotypical images of what a life with Down’s syndrome might be like. Using arts-based methods and a collaborative approach provided a space for co-researchers to consider and discuss in(ter)dependence, relationships and prenatal screening and how these themes were represented in documentaries. The collaborative aspect of this thesis demonstrates with unequivocal certainty that people with Down’s syndrome can and should be included in cultural conversations no matter their complexity. Consideration of the lived experience of people with Down’s syndrome is imperative in shifting attitudes concerning Down’s syndrome towards an affirmative understanding of the condition that reflects their valued lives, moving away from stereotypes anchored in dependency and deficit. In turn, such a shift, enacted by people living with Down’s syndrome, might make prenatal screening less routine and reactions to it more considered. This thesis illustrates how this can be done in practice, providing an inclusive approach is taken, and complex, sensitive issues are handled with the utmost care. This thesis engages with several interconnected, complex theories, including vulnerability, biopolitics, normalcy, ableism and cultural disability representation, adding to existing bodies of knowledge surrounding these concepts and how they relate to people with Down’s syndrome. In so doing, this helps us to open up critical discussions of Down’s syndrome and documentary and provides a framework for those working within the realms of disability and media.
Metadata
Supervisors: | Beckett, Angharad and Barker, Clare |
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Keywords: | Down’s syndrome, learning disability, ableism, normalcy, disability representation, documentary, vulnerability, arts-based research methods, co-production |
Awarding institution: | University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Sociology and Social Policy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Dr Amy Louise Redhead |
Date Deposited: | 30 Apr 2024 10:10 |
Last Modified: | 30 Apr 2024 10:10 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:etheses.whiterose.ac.uk:34704 |
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