The Dimensions of Lived Citizenship in Disability Services

Authors

• Merja Tarvainen Itä-Suomen yliopisto

Keywords:

disability, lived citizenship, welfare services

Abstract

This article explores lived citizenship (LC) in disability services regarding social work with disabled people. LC refers to the relationship between an individual and society, and it is constructed through social practices. This study focuses on disability services as a social practice. The data consists of writings (n = 36), which were collected by the Discretion in Social Work with People with Disabilities research consortium. The research question is as follows: How is LC in disability services built regarding the writings of adults with experiences regarding disability services? By deploying the concept of LC through thematic analysis, the analysis illustrates three dimensions of LC: exclusion, contradiction and inclusion. These dimensions focus on disconnectedness, mis-connectedness and connectedness between lived disability and disability according to disability services. The construction of LC in disability services also affects LC in a broader sense among people with disabilities.