Journal Call for Papers: Special Issue of Qualitative Inquiry, "Reclaiming" Disability in Critical Qualitative Research; Due 5/15/16

Journal Call for Papers: Special Issue of Qualitative Inquiry,
"Reclaiming" Disability in Critical Qualitative Research; Due 5/15/16

Guest Editors: Jessica Nina Lester (Indiana University) & Emily A.
Nusbaum (University of San Francisco)

Historically, qualitative researchers have privileged particular ways
of being in the world, with much of the language produced by research
participants being presumed to fall within the confines of expected
patterns of ‘able-bodiness’. Even in moving disabled individuals from
subject/object to participant, research that focuses on insider
perspectives of everyday experience has frequently excluded disabled
people beyond participation in research about them. Consequently, much
of the early research surrounding disabled people is grounded in
deficit-based perspectives aimed at “fixing” individual pathology
versus working to understand the being of another individual, as well
as the social/cultural construct of disability, more broadly. Further,
Berger and Lorenz (2015) have contended that there are few, if any
specific disability-methods courses in institutions of higher
education – let alone qualitative methods courses with such a focus.
Thus, there is a critical need to advance methods and methodological
discussions in the human/social sciences beyond being “about
disability,” as is seen in the advancement of feminist research
methods, as well as in humanities-based disability studies work.

As such, the purpose of this special issue is to bring together a
collection of articles that consider the place of critical qualitative
methodologies and methods in research involving disabled people. This
issue will focus on: 1) critical qualitative methodologies that serve
to challenge how disabled people are positioned in research studies,
locating them as central actors in the research process, and 2)
critical qualitative methods that reframe how to collect and analyze
data with disabled people. This special issue will address what Oliver
(1992) describes as “research as alienation” related to the lives of
disabled individuals and the social relations of research production
between non-disabled researchers and disabled individuals as
subjects/objects of research. Specifically, the special issue will
demonstrate how critical qualitative research serves to challenge
taken for granted social norms about ‘doing research’ with not about
disabled individuals, as well as possibilities for continued
examination of the privileged-self that upholds self-other
constructions in the research process. Thus, the included manuscripts
will consider issues related to power, privileging, “voice,” and
agency, while also examining the hegemonic power of ableism. It is our
hope that this thematic issue will work to advance methodological
approaches and the “place” of disability within them.

Researchers who engage in critical disability studies and are
committed to including the perspectives of and working alongside
disabled individuals are encouraged to submit manuscripts. In
addition, qualitative researchers who examine methods-related
challenges related to the normative and ableist assumptions common to
the academy, and/or who have produced empirical work that pushes
against ableist practices and assumptions are encouraged to submit
manuscripts.

Full manuscripts are due for initial, editorial review on May 15, 2016
and should be no longer than 30 pages (including references). Please
submit manuscripts via email to jnlester@indiana.edu and
eanusbaum@usfca.edu.

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