Experiencing Physical Disability: Young African Women in Lesotho

Seithati Rafoneke; Jan K. Coetzee; Pia H. Bülow; Penny Jaffray; Amanda Young-Hauser

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.14.4.10

Authors

Seithati Rafoneke Seithati Rafoneke, Jan K. Coetzee - University of the Free State, South Africa
Jan K. Coetzee
Pia H. Bülow Jönköping University, Sweden; University of the Free State, South Africa
Penny Jaffray University of Fort Hare, South Africa
Amanda Young-Hauser University of the Free State, South Africa; Massey University, New Zealand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.14.4.10

Keywords:

Women, Physical Disability, Identity, Everyday Life

Abstract

The article unwraps notions related to young African women’s lifeworld experiences of physical disability. The study is positioned in the broad context of the theoretical frameworks of phenomenology, existential sociology, the social construction of reality, feminist disability theory, and intersectionality. Focus is given to the way social systems of cultural oppression and discrimination impact women with physical impairments and manifest in how they perceive and make meaning of their everyday life experiences. Women with physical impairments often experience a double measure of oppression—being both female and disabled. When these women try to engage in a normal life and interact with others, they experience barriers imposed on them by their social reality—particularly in the form of cultural norms and patriarchal ideals. There are also instances where participants demonstrate resilience in the face of negative social stereotyping, instances that clearly show that they are not different, and do not perceive themselves as being different to able-bodied women. Drawing on semi-structured in-depth interviews with eight young Black women who are living with physical disabilities in Lesotho, the objective of this article is to examine their everyday life experiences within a predominantly able-bodied society.

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Author Biographies

Seithati Rafoneke, Seithati Rafoneke, Jan K. Coetzee - University of the Free State, South Africa

Seithati Rafoneke obtained her Master’s degree in the program The Narrative Study of Lives, Department of Sociology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Jan K. Coetzee

Jan K. Coetzee is a Senior Professor of Sociology and Director of the program The Narrative Study of Lives in the Department of Sociology at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. He specializes in qualitative sociology and serves on several international advisory boards.

Pia H. Bülow, Jönköping University, Sweden; University of the Free State, South Africa

Pia H. Bülow is a Professor of Social Work in the School of Health and Welfare at Jönköping University, Sweden and a Research Fellow at the Department of Social Work at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Penny Jaffray, University of Fort Hare, South Africa

Penny Jaffray is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Fort Hare, East London, South Africa.

Amanda Young-Hauser, University of the Free State, South Africa; Massey University, New Zealand

Amanda Young-Hauser is a Research Fellow in the program The Narrative Study of Lives in the Department of Sociology at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. She currently works with the Ending Poverty and Inequality cluster (EPIC) at the School of Psychology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.

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