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IQ, Speciation and Sexuality: How Suspicions of Sexual Abuse are Produced within a Contemporary Intellectual Disability Service

IQ, Speciation and Sexuality: How Suspicions of Sexual Abuse are Produced within a Contemporary... <jats:p> It is commonplace, in our historical moment, to assume the inherent characteristics of people we label intellectually disabled makes them vulnerable to sexual abuse or exploitation. Drawing on the findings of a qualitative research project regarding the treatment of sexuality within a service for adults with intellectual disabilities in the Republic of Ireland, I take a very different approach. I argue that, suspicions, fears, and allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation are best understood as produced in, and by, the material-semiotic assemblage that both service providers and service users inhabit. In the most reductive terms possible, I am going to suggest that suspicions and allegations of sexual exploitation are continually produced within the disability service because the two social species (‘normal people’ and ‘people with intellectual disabilities’) that inhabit this material territory, and share its spaces, understand intimate relationships with and amongst people with intellectual disabilities through very different discursive lenses. </jats:p> http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Somatechnics Edinburgh University Press

IQ, Speciation and Sexuality: How Suspicions of Sexual Abuse are Produced within a Contemporary Intellectual Disability Service

Somatechnics , Volume 5 (2): 174 – Sep 1, 2015

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References (22)

Publisher
Edinburgh University Press
Copyright
© Edinburgh University Press
Subject
Articles; Film, Media and Cultural Studies
ISSN
2044-0138
eISSN
2044-0146
DOI
10.3366/soma.2015.0160
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

<jats:p> It is commonplace, in our historical moment, to assume the inherent characteristics of people we label intellectually disabled makes them vulnerable to sexual abuse or exploitation. Drawing on the findings of a qualitative research project regarding the treatment of sexuality within a service for adults with intellectual disabilities in the Republic of Ireland, I take a very different approach. I argue that, suspicions, fears, and allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation are best understood as produced in, and by, the material-semiotic assemblage that both service providers and service users inhabit. In the most reductive terms possible, I am going to suggest that suspicions and allegations of sexual exploitation are continually produced within the disability service because the two social species (‘normal people’ and ‘people with intellectual disabilities’) that inhabit this material territory, and share its spaces, understand intimate relationships with and amongst people with intellectual disabilities through very different discursive lenses. </jats:p>

Journal

SomatechnicsEdinburgh University Press

Published: Sep 1, 2015

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