Interpersonal mechanisms

Discussion 4: Disability as a Master Status – Due
11:59 PM

Prompt

A master status is a status that dominates all other statuses that a persons holds at any given time or in any given context (Schaefer 2018). It has special importance for social identity, often determining a person’s general position in society. Thus, it can influence a person’s entire life trajectory, i.e., the types of jobs and relationships that a person has or is able to obtain. Master statuses include, but are not limited to, race, gender, class, disability, citizenship status, sexuality, etc.

In order to successfully complete this assignment, read:

The Introduction, “Methodology,” “Results,” and “Organizational Mechanisms of Disability Discrimination” sections in Mechanisms of Disability Discrimination in Large Bureaucratic Organizations: Ascriptive Inequalities in the Workplace. The article is attached to this assignment

Use at least 500 words to respond to the discussion questions below.

From the research article, identify and define (in your own words) 2 interpersonal mechanisms of disability discrimination explained by the authors. How do these interpersonal mechanisms of discrimination prevent people with disabilities from performing successfully at work?

What do you think can be done to help society move beyond the label “disabled” and see people with disabilities as whole human beings? Provide at least one concrete solution/activity that you or a community group can do to spread awareness and help change the way society views people with disabilities (this question will require you to do some research—make sure to cite your work properly).

Now, describe a master status in your life. In what ways has this status shaped the assumptions that people make about who you are and what you can or cannot do? In what ways has your master status directly or indirectly shaped your life trajectory—what you have chosen (or not chosen) to achieve in life?

Instructions

Type up your responses in a Word document.
Cite the necessary work, if applicable.
Make sure to proofread your work for spelling and grammatical errors.
Your document must be in 12-point Times New Roman or Courier font, double-spaced, have 1-inch margins, and have your complete name, date, and title of the assignment on top of the first page only.