This commentary reflects upon the article entitled “Diversity and inclusion policies in publicly traded New Zealand companies: Inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities”.
Abstract
Purpose
This commentary reflects upon the article entitled “Diversity and inclusion policies in publicly traded New Zealand companies: Inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities”.
Design/methodology/approach
This narrative commentary critically reflects upon the Global Reporting Initiative (hereafter, GRI) itself and what the numbers reported in Guruge’s (2023; this issue) article say, paying attention to what we might think and do about such standards and scenarios.
Findings
This commentary does not present a definitive assessment of the GRI. This is because it is marked by undecidability. Nevertheless, it reads some of the figures, or “data”, which register organisational uptake of GRI standards (or the lack thereof), together with other “data”, to contrive a more stable account.
Originality/value
This commentary strives to avoid presenting a reductive reading of “data” and, instead, highlights the complex multifaceted dimensions of societies, sustainability, social inclusion, disability and possibilities for inclusive practices.
Details
Keywords
This article documents accounts of the tactics parents and siblings of autistic persons in Hong Kong deploy to manage social encounters. This article aims to consider the impact…
Abstract
Purpose
This article documents accounts of the tactics parents and siblings of autistic persons in Hong Kong deploy to manage social encounters. This article aims to consider the impact of such tactics and their enmeshment with factors that combine to limit satisfactory outcomes and outlines a project intent upon contriving dialogue between persons.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative project elicited stories and accounts (or narratives) produced by persons involved in encounters involving autistic persons. This project also intervened in these encounters.
Findings
Persons involved in social encounters are de-fused, in the sense of being disconnected. The emotions persons experience through these encounters (e.g. and especially anxiety) remain hidden. Dialogue has the capacity to re-fuse, not only reconnecting but also rejecting unsatisfactory arrangements.
Originality/value
The dialogue produced in the article may extend beyond the specific circumstances and persons considered, potentially reducing the barriers and distances between autistic persons and others.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on Alex Cockain’s article “De-fusing and re-fusing face-to-face encounters involving autistic persons in Hong Kong”.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on Alex Cockain’s article “De-fusing and re-fusing face-to-face encounters involving autistic persons in Hong Kong”.
Design/methodology/approach
The commentary considers the issues raised in Cockain’s article primarily from a focus on Goffman’s concept of “stigma”. Cognitive, emotional and behavioural components of stigma are examined and its wider relevance considered.
Findings
There has been less research on the stigma of learning disability than on that of mental health, despite a very early study of learning disability (Edgerton, 1967) using the concept only four years after the publication of Goffman’s (1963) seminal work. A number of points of relevance of stigma are identified including to social role valorisation, visible and invisible stigmas, the concept of “passing”, microaggression, disablism and labelling.
Originality/value
The commentary illustrates the relevance of the concept of stigma to other aspects of learning disability and disability scholarship.