Females in Cultural Encryption: A Review of Eight Polish Discourses on Females with Disabilities

Abstract

This review contains the analysis of contemporary Polish discourses on females with disabilities. Special attention has been directed towards the femininity of women with intellectual or physical disabilities, and discourses conducted by special educators, adult educators, psychologists, sociologists, cultural anthropologists, philologists, artists etc. co-operating in Poland, in the areas of special education, andragogy from 1989-2015. Furthermore, I analyzed the selected media discourses, taking place in the public space. Text starts with the definitions of femininity in Polish dominant culture.

Indicated discourses were introduced in the context of the ontological, epistemological and research paradigms behind the researches of femininity and disability. Discourses are arranged on the ground of socio-political and cultural transformation in Poland after 1989, this mean the end of communist regime. I submit therefore in outline and analyze 26 years of changes in the discourses about females with disabilities in Poland. Discourses were introduced in chronological order of appearance in Polish culture, indicating also the scientific interests of researchers. First appeared the medical-clinical discourse and then andragogy, biographical, cultural, religious, literary, art and media discourses as well.