Alan Martino - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Alan Martino

Research paper thumbnail of The Romantic and Sexual Lives of Adults with Intellectual Disability in Ontario, Canada

The intersection of disability and sexuality remains a taboo topic. Along with this taboo, people... more The intersection of disability and sexuality remains a taboo topic. Along with this taboo, people with intellectual disabilities are rarely afforded the opportunity to share their experiences and desires when it comes to their intimate lives. This research examines the romantic and sexual lives of adults with intellectual disabilities in Ontario, Canada, by putting into conversation theories from the sociology of sexualities and critical disability studies. It uses a sexual fields analytic framework (Green, 2014) to explore the consequences of sexual stratification on the experiences of disabled people. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 46 adults with intellectual disabilities, this research explores how they are kept out of sexual fields through a series of disabling social processes. It also examines how participants make sense of their gender and sexual identities based on gender habitus acquired in their lives and how they are often confined to "hetero-romantic" forms of sexual expression and traditional gender roles. Finally, this project explores how participants navigate the sexual fields available to them and their strategies for negotiating those fields. This research brings to view previously unexplored sexual fields within the existing sexual fields literature. I discuss what I call intellectual disability sexual fields, spaces exclusively for people with intellectual disabilities, as well as more mainstream sexual fields.

Research paper thumbnail of Community-Based Participatory Gender and Sexualities Research With LGBTQ+ People With Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities

International Journal of Qualitative Methods

In this article, we discuss practical lessons for promoting meaningful collaboration in inclusive... more In this article, we discuss practical lessons for promoting meaningful collaboration in inclusive and community-based participatory gender and sexualities research with LGBTQ+ people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. First, we describe the historical and ongoing exclusion from research engagement of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and the importance of including LGBTQ+ people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in inclusive and community-based research projects that address gender and sexuality. Then, we provide reflections on how we are striving to embrace core principles of community-based participatory research in our current gender and sexualities research projects. Finally, we end with a call to action for future meaningful and collaborative research that addresses gender and sexuality in the lives of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction: The Intersections of Critical Disability Studies and Critical Animal Studies

Canadian Journal of Disability Studies

The papers in this special issue build on an exciting, and fast growing, body of scholarship loca... more The papers in this special issue build on an exciting, and fast growing, body of scholarship located at the intersection of critical disability studies and critical animal studies, shedding light on disablism and speciesism1 as interconnecting oppressions, how animality and disability are mutually constitutive, as well as the tensions and coalitions shared by these two related fields (see, for example, Jenkins, Montford & Taylor, 2020; Nocella II, George & Schatz, 2017; Taylor, 2013, 2017).

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction: Disability Studies in Education—Critical Conversations

Canadian Journal of Disability Studies

This special issue of the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies brings together 19 articles by s... more This special issue of the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies brings together 19 articles by scholars and activists across broad academic disciplines and activist communities— from disability studies to inclusive education, early childhood education, decolonial studies, feminist anti-violence organizing, community health and more—as well as geopolitical locations.

Research paper thumbnail of Book Review: “Vulnerable Constitutions: Queerness, Disability, and the Remaking of American Manhood”

Research paper thumbnail of Dating in the Digital Age: A Content Analysis of Dating Websites Designed for Disabled People

Sexuality and Disability

In our current collective sexual sphere, a range of digital sexual fields, such as mobile applica... more In our current collective sexual sphere, a range of digital sexual fields, such as mobile applications and dating websites, provide new opportunities for sexual actors to meet partners, negotiate their self-presentation, and explore niche desires. This exploratory qualitative study examines online dating websites catered to disabled people to understand the language and imagery employed in these niche sexual fields. Drawing on a sexual fields framework (Green, 2014), this article analyzed 26 dating websites through a content analysis. Websites emphasized the narrative of disabled people overcoming isolation and accessibility barriers. Many websites also promoted the idea that their platform eased the uncomfortable task of disclosing one's impairment and would improve their overall quality of life. Digital sexual fields can be vital for these individuals who often face social isolation and inaccessibility. We provide insights into how disability is constructed through language in disability-focused dating websites. These websites (re)produce particular (and sometimes dominant) conceptualizations of disability. This is important as language and images used in digital sexual fields can impact constructions of disabled sexualities.

Research paper thumbnail of Disability is associated with sexually transmitted infection: Severity and female sex are important risk factors

The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality

It has been suggested that disabled people may experience higher rates of sexually transmitted in... more It has been suggested that disabled people may experience higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) due to health inequities and sexual education gaps. Using a pan-Canadian health survey, we sought to explore the association with disability and STI. Using the public use microdata file for the 2013–2014 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (Statistics Canada), the association between disability and STI was explored. Modelling included adjustment for age, ethnicity, geography, living arrangement, educational status, and marital status. Results were stratified for females and males, disability severity, and type. Both females (odds ratio [OR] 1.54, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.27–1.86) and males (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.03–1.62) with any impairments were more likely to report a diagnosis of STI. A graduated effect was seen, with the odds increasing as the severity of disability increased. Females with severe visual impairment (OR 6.88, 95% CI 2.13–22.17) had the high...

Research paper thumbnail of Ethically important moments: Researching the intimate lives of adults labeled/with intellectual disabilities

Qualitative Research

People labeled/with intellectual disabilities are rarely given the opportunity to “speak” about t... more People labeled/with intellectual disabilities are rarely given the opportunity to “speak” about their sexual and romantic experiences on their own behalf. Persisting stereotypes and (over)protectionism sometimes serve as social mechanisms that silence disabled people in knowledge creation. Although further protections need to be implemented, people labeled/with intellectual disabilities must have an opportunity to share their perspectives and experiences with love and intimacy. This research note discusses some of the “ethically important moments” I have encountered as a researcher looking at the romantic and sexual lives of adults labeled/with intellectual disabilities, as well as how my embodied experience in the field led me to reflect on my own positionality as a researcher and sexual being.

Research paper thumbnail of The intersection of sexuality and intellectual disabilities

Routledge eBooks, Apr 27, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of ‘I don't want to get in trouble’: a study of how adults with intellectual disabilities convert and navigate intellectual disability sexual fields

Culture, Health & Sexuality

Drawing on interviews with 46 adults with intellectual disabilities in Ontario, Canada, this arti... more Drawing on interviews with 46 adults with intellectual disabilities in Ontario, Canada, this article suggests a different starting point in understanding the constraints that limit which sexual fields are available to people with intellectual disabilities. Because of surveillance, infantilisation and control, people with intellectual disabilities sometimes have to claim and convert other spaces such as day programmes, group homes and other residential settings into sexual fields. Without understanding these experiences, we may not recognise these intellectual disability sexual fields as settings for the pursuit of intimacy and love. These are valuable insights that bring into view how some marginalised sexual actors may covert social fields into sexual fields as a means of responding to lack of access to and exclusion from mainstream sexual fields.

Research paper thumbnail of “It's just more complicated!”: Experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities when navigating digital sexual fields

Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace

This exploratory qualitative study analyzes narratives to understand how adults with intellectual... more This exploratory qualitative study analyzes narratives to understand how adults with intellectual disabilities navigate the digital sexual fields available to them, given the barriers and constraints in their lives. There is a paucity of research that has looked at the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities when navigating digital sexual fields in their pursuit of romance and partnership. This paper draws on a larger qualitative inquiry with adults with intellectual disabilities (n = 46) in Ontario, Canada, focused on their romantic and sexual lives. In all, 15 participants discussed their views on and participation in a variety of dating websites and mobile applications. Their experiences of digital sexual fields were analyzed. This study uses a sexual fields framework informed by Bourdieusian field theory to explore how participants negotiate these digital spaces, whether and how they choose to disclose their disability status, how they manage their self-presentation...

Research paper thumbnail of Exercising Intimate Citizenship Rights and (Re)constructing Sexualities

The Routledge Handbook of Disability Activism, 2019

This chapter presents research and activist work advocating for the sexual rights of disabled peo... more This chapter presents research and activist work advocating for the sexual rights of disabled people. The romantic and intimate lives of disabled people have been marked by a history of oppression, abuse and de-sexualisation. State-sanctioned sterilisations of people with disabilities and the numerous eugenic movements associated with practices serve as the most overt and inhumane examples of how negative attitudes become reified into social policy. The variety of the initiatives exemplifies the richness and diversity of disability- sexuality activism and illustrates some of the ways that disabled people are advocating for and claiming intimate citizenship and socio-sexual rights. Disability activists have done the critical work of subverting the taboo and stigma commonly associated with disability and sexuality; and they have turned the conversation towards desiring disability. The sexual lives of disabled people have the potential to challenge dominant cultural ideas of what constitutes sex.

Research paper thumbnail of Theoretical developments

Research paper thumbnail of Enacting and/or contesting the ‘normal TA body’: social location and the experiences of teaching assistants

Teaching in Higher Education, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of “It is totally a power struggle”: Struggles over the sexuality of some intellectually disabled individuals in Southern Alberta

This study explores the attitudes and experiences of five individuals with intellectual disabilit... more This study explores the attitudes and experiences of five individuals with intellectual disabilities regarding their sexual expression and practices, and inquires whether and how their direct care workers impact these expressions and practices. Additionally, the attitudes and experiences of six direct care workers were analyzed. Drawing from standpoint theory, I explore the participants' experiences as embedded in multifaceted social relations and power struggles. Intellectually disabled individuals discuss their struggles in developing sexual and romantic relationships, having privacy and control over their space, and dealing with workers and guardians who insist on speaking on their behalf. Conversely, direct care workers highlight their fear of discussing sexuality and getting in trouble with their organizations or the guardians or families of their clients. The experiences of these social actors indicate broader struggles that disempower them both, and reveal a culture commonly understands disability and sexuality as something that will land people in trouble. v Acknowledgments What a journey! This has been a challenging, and yet meaningful and rewarding, transformative experience for me. There are a lot of people that I would like to acknowledge for supporting me in completing this thesis. First and foremost, I would like to thank all the research participants for sharing their stories and intimate details of their lives with me. Thank you. I also owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Claudia Malacrida, for reading my thesis in record time, offering such honest and insightful feedback, and challenging me to think about my research topic and historical narratives in new and deeper ways. I cannot thank you enough for making me a stronger writer and scholar. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my thesis committee, Dr. Kara Granzow and Dr. William Ramp, for their incredible encouragement, thoughtful critique, and ongoing support as I continue to interrogate who I am as an individual, scholar, activist, family member and community member. Thanks for so generously sharing your time and knowledge with me. I also would like to acknowledge the insightful contributions of Dr. E. Anne Hughson to this thesis. Thank you for helping me bring this project to the next level and for all the stimulating conversations during committee meetings. I also want to offer my appreciation to the various scholars who have made insightful and long-lasting contributions to my thesis. In the Department of Sociology, I offer my profound thanks to Dr. Jason Laurendeau and Dr. Kimberly Mair for their invaluable support on the initial stages of this project. I also would like to extend my immense gratitude to the faculty of the Women and Gender Studies Department, especially Dr. Carol Williams, Dr. Jo-Anne Fiske and Dr. Suzanne Lenon for generously vi guiding me through such a fascinating body of feminist scholarship and activism. I should also thank the faculty from the Sociology Department at St. Lawrence University, especially Dr. Karen O'Neil, Dr. Patrice LeClerc and Dr. Leah Rohlfsen, for believing in me and supporting me even long after my graduation. Additionally, I had a lot of support from fellow graduate students throughout my program. I would like to thank my cohort, in particular, my colleagues Arielle Perrotta, Ann Holden, Lilli Young and Vanja Spirić, for their insightful feedback on my various drafts, and, most importantly, for their incredible friendship and ongoing encouragement. Thanks also to my colleague Marcelo Vieira for supporting me in the initial stages of my graduate program. I also would like to mention Gillian Ayers, Tiffani Semach and Auburn Phillips who generously provided me with words of advice throughout my program. Thanks to Mary Greenshields for reading my work with such enthusiasm, and for offering me such rich feedback. A huge wave of gratitude also goes to Jenny Oseen who gave me such invaluable support and strength when I needed it the most. I also want to extend my appreciation to Mary Ellen Bryant and her family for their friendship and generosity since my very first day in Canada. I wish to express my gratitude to Xiao Wang, Michele Wu, Shabander Dostalie and Alicia Lou for keeping me grounded. Finally, I cannot find words to adequately convey my gratitude to my family and friends in Brazil. Thanks to my parents Geni Santinele Martino and Gerson Martino, my brother Bruno Santinele Martino, and my grandmother Ariadenes Neves Martino for their love and support. Thanks for inspiring me, keeping me motivated, and feeling proud of me. This thesis is also especially dedicated to my aunt, Marina Martino, for all her love and care. Obrigado.

Research paper thumbnail of When Good Intentions Backfire: University Research Ethics Review and the Intimate Lives of People Labeled with Intellectual Disabilities

Wir diskutieren kritisch, wie Praxen der ethischen Begutachtung und Regulierung durch universitar... more Wir diskutieren kritisch, wie Praxen der ethischen Begutachtung und Regulierung durch universitare Ethikkommissionen Diskurse von Vulnerabilitat und Protektionismus reproduzieren, die dazu beitragen, Personen, die als geistig beeintrachtigt gelabelt werden, verstummen zu lassen. Behindernde Zuschreibungen uber (Un-) Fahigkeit sowie ein reduktives bio-medizinisches Verstandnis der gelabelten Personen als homogene Gruppe fuhren zu der Einschatzung, die Forschungen seien "zu riskant" und ihr Wert wurde die potenziellen Risiken nicht aufwiegen. Personen werden als "zu verletztlich" oder "zu naiv" wahrgenommen, um in der Lage zu sein, uber ihre Teilnahme an Forschung entscheiden zu konnen, ohne sich selbst oder die Forschenden in Gefahr zu bringen. In diesem Beitrag legen wir unsere Erfahrungen mit forschungsethischen Begutachtungen von Projekten dar, in denen das intime Leben von Menschen mit geistiger Behinderung erforscht werden sollte. Wir kommen zu dem ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Erotic Habitus of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Ontario, Canada

Research paper thumbnail of I don't know if I can talk about that": An Exploratory Study on the Experiences of Care Workers Regarding the Sexuality of People with Intellectual Disabilities

Disability Studies Quarterly, 2019

This exploratory study examined the attitudes and experiences of a small sample of direct care wo... more This exploratory study examined the attitudes and experiences of a small sample of direct care workers' experiences of addressing the sexual expression and practices of their clients with intellectual disabilities. Drawing on in-depth interviews with direct care workers in Alberta, Canada, we use Foucault's work to examine the way power is exercised through organizational policies, personal values, and employment contexts. Altogether, the accounts of direct care workers seem to illuminate a culture that commonly sees disability and sexuality as antithetical and a topic to be avoided for fear of reprisal.

Research paper thumbnail of Cripping Sex Education

Research paper thumbnail of Also here, also queer

Young, Disabled and LGBT+, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of The Romantic and Sexual Lives of Adults with Intellectual Disability in Ontario, Canada

The intersection of disability and sexuality remains a taboo topic. Along with this taboo, people... more The intersection of disability and sexuality remains a taboo topic. Along with this taboo, people with intellectual disabilities are rarely afforded the opportunity to share their experiences and desires when it comes to their intimate lives. This research examines the romantic and sexual lives of adults with intellectual disabilities in Ontario, Canada, by putting into conversation theories from the sociology of sexualities and critical disability studies. It uses a sexual fields analytic framework (Green, 2014) to explore the consequences of sexual stratification on the experiences of disabled people. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 46 adults with intellectual disabilities, this research explores how they are kept out of sexual fields through a series of disabling social processes. It also examines how participants make sense of their gender and sexual identities based on gender habitus acquired in their lives and how they are often confined to "hetero-romantic" forms of sexual expression and traditional gender roles. Finally, this project explores how participants navigate the sexual fields available to them and their strategies for negotiating those fields. This research brings to view previously unexplored sexual fields within the existing sexual fields literature. I discuss what I call intellectual disability sexual fields, spaces exclusively for people with intellectual disabilities, as well as more mainstream sexual fields.

Research paper thumbnail of Community-Based Participatory Gender and Sexualities Research With LGBTQ+ People With Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities

International Journal of Qualitative Methods

In this article, we discuss practical lessons for promoting meaningful collaboration in inclusive... more In this article, we discuss practical lessons for promoting meaningful collaboration in inclusive and community-based participatory gender and sexualities research with LGBTQ+ people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. First, we describe the historical and ongoing exclusion from research engagement of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and the importance of including LGBTQ+ people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in inclusive and community-based research projects that address gender and sexuality. Then, we provide reflections on how we are striving to embrace core principles of community-based participatory research in our current gender and sexualities research projects. Finally, we end with a call to action for future meaningful and collaborative research that addresses gender and sexuality in the lives of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction: The Intersections of Critical Disability Studies and Critical Animal Studies

Canadian Journal of Disability Studies

The papers in this special issue build on an exciting, and fast growing, body of scholarship loca... more The papers in this special issue build on an exciting, and fast growing, body of scholarship located at the intersection of critical disability studies and critical animal studies, shedding light on disablism and speciesism1 as interconnecting oppressions, how animality and disability are mutually constitutive, as well as the tensions and coalitions shared by these two related fields (see, for example, Jenkins, Montford & Taylor, 2020; Nocella II, George & Schatz, 2017; Taylor, 2013, 2017).

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction: Disability Studies in Education—Critical Conversations

Canadian Journal of Disability Studies

This special issue of the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies brings together 19 articles by s... more This special issue of the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies brings together 19 articles by scholars and activists across broad academic disciplines and activist communities— from disability studies to inclusive education, early childhood education, decolonial studies, feminist anti-violence organizing, community health and more—as well as geopolitical locations.

Research paper thumbnail of Book Review: “Vulnerable Constitutions: Queerness, Disability, and the Remaking of American Manhood”

Research paper thumbnail of Dating in the Digital Age: A Content Analysis of Dating Websites Designed for Disabled People

Sexuality and Disability

In our current collective sexual sphere, a range of digital sexual fields, such as mobile applica... more In our current collective sexual sphere, a range of digital sexual fields, such as mobile applications and dating websites, provide new opportunities for sexual actors to meet partners, negotiate their self-presentation, and explore niche desires. This exploratory qualitative study examines online dating websites catered to disabled people to understand the language and imagery employed in these niche sexual fields. Drawing on a sexual fields framework (Green, 2014), this article analyzed 26 dating websites through a content analysis. Websites emphasized the narrative of disabled people overcoming isolation and accessibility barriers. Many websites also promoted the idea that their platform eased the uncomfortable task of disclosing one's impairment and would improve their overall quality of life. Digital sexual fields can be vital for these individuals who often face social isolation and inaccessibility. We provide insights into how disability is constructed through language in disability-focused dating websites. These websites (re)produce particular (and sometimes dominant) conceptualizations of disability. This is important as language and images used in digital sexual fields can impact constructions of disabled sexualities.

Research paper thumbnail of Disability is associated with sexually transmitted infection: Severity and female sex are important risk factors

The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality

It has been suggested that disabled people may experience higher rates of sexually transmitted in... more It has been suggested that disabled people may experience higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) due to health inequities and sexual education gaps. Using a pan-Canadian health survey, we sought to explore the association with disability and STI. Using the public use microdata file for the 2013–2014 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (Statistics Canada), the association between disability and STI was explored. Modelling included adjustment for age, ethnicity, geography, living arrangement, educational status, and marital status. Results were stratified for females and males, disability severity, and type. Both females (odds ratio [OR] 1.54, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.27–1.86) and males (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.03–1.62) with any impairments were more likely to report a diagnosis of STI. A graduated effect was seen, with the odds increasing as the severity of disability increased. Females with severe visual impairment (OR 6.88, 95% CI 2.13–22.17) had the high...

Research paper thumbnail of Ethically important moments: Researching the intimate lives of adults labeled/with intellectual disabilities

Qualitative Research

People labeled/with intellectual disabilities are rarely given the opportunity to “speak” about t... more People labeled/with intellectual disabilities are rarely given the opportunity to “speak” about their sexual and romantic experiences on their own behalf. Persisting stereotypes and (over)protectionism sometimes serve as social mechanisms that silence disabled people in knowledge creation. Although further protections need to be implemented, people labeled/with intellectual disabilities must have an opportunity to share their perspectives and experiences with love and intimacy. This research note discusses some of the “ethically important moments” I have encountered as a researcher looking at the romantic and sexual lives of adults labeled/with intellectual disabilities, as well as how my embodied experience in the field led me to reflect on my own positionality as a researcher and sexual being.

Research paper thumbnail of The intersection of sexuality and intellectual disabilities

Routledge eBooks, Apr 27, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of ‘I don't want to get in trouble’: a study of how adults with intellectual disabilities convert and navigate intellectual disability sexual fields

Culture, Health & Sexuality

Drawing on interviews with 46 adults with intellectual disabilities in Ontario, Canada, this arti... more Drawing on interviews with 46 adults with intellectual disabilities in Ontario, Canada, this article suggests a different starting point in understanding the constraints that limit which sexual fields are available to people with intellectual disabilities. Because of surveillance, infantilisation and control, people with intellectual disabilities sometimes have to claim and convert other spaces such as day programmes, group homes and other residential settings into sexual fields. Without understanding these experiences, we may not recognise these intellectual disability sexual fields as settings for the pursuit of intimacy and love. These are valuable insights that bring into view how some marginalised sexual actors may covert social fields into sexual fields as a means of responding to lack of access to and exclusion from mainstream sexual fields.

Research paper thumbnail of “It's just more complicated!”: Experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities when navigating digital sexual fields

Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace

This exploratory qualitative study analyzes narratives to understand how adults with intellectual... more This exploratory qualitative study analyzes narratives to understand how adults with intellectual disabilities navigate the digital sexual fields available to them, given the barriers and constraints in their lives. There is a paucity of research that has looked at the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities when navigating digital sexual fields in their pursuit of romance and partnership. This paper draws on a larger qualitative inquiry with adults with intellectual disabilities (n = 46) in Ontario, Canada, focused on their romantic and sexual lives. In all, 15 participants discussed their views on and participation in a variety of dating websites and mobile applications. Their experiences of digital sexual fields were analyzed. This study uses a sexual fields framework informed by Bourdieusian field theory to explore how participants negotiate these digital spaces, whether and how they choose to disclose their disability status, how they manage their self-presentation...

Research paper thumbnail of Exercising Intimate Citizenship Rights and (Re)constructing Sexualities

The Routledge Handbook of Disability Activism, 2019

This chapter presents research and activist work advocating for the sexual rights of disabled peo... more This chapter presents research and activist work advocating for the sexual rights of disabled people. The romantic and intimate lives of disabled people have been marked by a history of oppression, abuse and de-sexualisation. State-sanctioned sterilisations of people with disabilities and the numerous eugenic movements associated with practices serve as the most overt and inhumane examples of how negative attitudes become reified into social policy. The variety of the initiatives exemplifies the richness and diversity of disability- sexuality activism and illustrates some of the ways that disabled people are advocating for and claiming intimate citizenship and socio-sexual rights. Disability activists have done the critical work of subverting the taboo and stigma commonly associated with disability and sexuality; and they have turned the conversation towards desiring disability. The sexual lives of disabled people have the potential to challenge dominant cultural ideas of what constitutes sex.

Research paper thumbnail of Theoretical developments

Research paper thumbnail of Enacting and/or contesting the ‘normal TA body’: social location and the experiences of teaching assistants

Teaching in Higher Education, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of “It is totally a power struggle”: Struggles over the sexuality of some intellectually disabled individuals in Southern Alberta

This study explores the attitudes and experiences of five individuals with intellectual disabilit... more This study explores the attitudes and experiences of five individuals with intellectual disabilities regarding their sexual expression and practices, and inquires whether and how their direct care workers impact these expressions and practices. Additionally, the attitudes and experiences of six direct care workers were analyzed. Drawing from standpoint theory, I explore the participants' experiences as embedded in multifaceted social relations and power struggles. Intellectually disabled individuals discuss their struggles in developing sexual and romantic relationships, having privacy and control over their space, and dealing with workers and guardians who insist on speaking on their behalf. Conversely, direct care workers highlight their fear of discussing sexuality and getting in trouble with their organizations or the guardians or families of their clients. The experiences of these social actors indicate broader struggles that disempower them both, and reveal a culture commonly understands disability and sexuality as something that will land people in trouble. v Acknowledgments What a journey! This has been a challenging, and yet meaningful and rewarding, transformative experience for me. There are a lot of people that I would like to acknowledge for supporting me in completing this thesis. First and foremost, I would like to thank all the research participants for sharing their stories and intimate details of their lives with me. Thank you. I also owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Claudia Malacrida, for reading my thesis in record time, offering such honest and insightful feedback, and challenging me to think about my research topic and historical narratives in new and deeper ways. I cannot thank you enough for making me a stronger writer and scholar. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my thesis committee, Dr. Kara Granzow and Dr. William Ramp, for their incredible encouragement, thoughtful critique, and ongoing support as I continue to interrogate who I am as an individual, scholar, activist, family member and community member. Thanks for so generously sharing your time and knowledge with me. I also would like to acknowledge the insightful contributions of Dr. E. Anne Hughson to this thesis. Thank you for helping me bring this project to the next level and for all the stimulating conversations during committee meetings. I also want to offer my appreciation to the various scholars who have made insightful and long-lasting contributions to my thesis. In the Department of Sociology, I offer my profound thanks to Dr. Jason Laurendeau and Dr. Kimberly Mair for their invaluable support on the initial stages of this project. I also would like to extend my immense gratitude to the faculty of the Women and Gender Studies Department, especially Dr. Carol Williams, Dr. Jo-Anne Fiske and Dr. Suzanne Lenon for generously vi guiding me through such a fascinating body of feminist scholarship and activism. I should also thank the faculty from the Sociology Department at St. Lawrence University, especially Dr. Karen O'Neil, Dr. Patrice LeClerc and Dr. Leah Rohlfsen, for believing in me and supporting me even long after my graduation. Additionally, I had a lot of support from fellow graduate students throughout my program. I would like to thank my cohort, in particular, my colleagues Arielle Perrotta, Ann Holden, Lilli Young and Vanja Spirić, for their insightful feedback on my various drafts, and, most importantly, for their incredible friendship and ongoing encouragement. Thanks also to my colleague Marcelo Vieira for supporting me in the initial stages of my graduate program. I also would like to mention Gillian Ayers, Tiffani Semach and Auburn Phillips who generously provided me with words of advice throughout my program. Thanks to Mary Greenshields for reading my work with such enthusiasm, and for offering me such rich feedback. A huge wave of gratitude also goes to Jenny Oseen who gave me such invaluable support and strength when I needed it the most. I also want to extend my appreciation to Mary Ellen Bryant and her family for their friendship and generosity since my very first day in Canada. I wish to express my gratitude to Xiao Wang, Michele Wu, Shabander Dostalie and Alicia Lou for keeping me grounded. Finally, I cannot find words to adequately convey my gratitude to my family and friends in Brazil. Thanks to my parents Geni Santinele Martino and Gerson Martino, my brother Bruno Santinele Martino, and my grandmother Ariadenes Neves Martino for their love and support. Thanks for inspiring me, keeping me motivated, and feeling proud of me. This thesis is also especially dedicated to my aunt, Marina Martino, for all her love and care. Obrigado.

Research paper thumbnail of When Good Intentions Backfire: University Research Ethics Review and the Intimate Lives of People Labeled with Intellectual Disabilities

Wir diskutieren kritisch, wie Praxen der ethischen Begutachtung und Regulierung durch universitar... more Wir diskutieren kritisch, wie Praxen der ethischen Begutachtung und Regulierung durch universitare Ethikkommissionen Diskurse von Vulnerabilitat und Protektionismus reproduzieren, die dazu beitragen, Personen, die als geistig beeintrachtigt gelabelt werden, verstummen zu lassen. Behindernde Zuschreibungen uber (Un-) Fahigkeit sowie ein reduktives bio-medizinisches Verstandnis der gelabelten Personen als homogene Gruppe fuhren zu der Einschatzung, die Forschungen seien "zu riskant" und ihr Wert wurde die potenziellen Risiken nicht aufwiegen. Personen werden als "zu verletztlich" oder "zu naiv" wahrgenommen, um in der Lage zu sein, uber ihre Teilnahme an Forschung entscheiden zu konnen, ohne sich selbst oder die Forschenden in Gefahr zu bringen. In diesem Beitrag legen wir unsere Erfahrungen mit forschungsethischen Begutachtungen von Projekten dar, in denen das intime Leben von Menschen mit geistiger Behinderung erforscht werden sollte. Wir kommen zu dem ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Erotic Habitus of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Ontario, Canada

Research paper thumbnail of I don't know if I can talk about that": An Exploratory Study on the Experiences of Care Workers Regarding the Sexuality of People with Intellectual Disabilities

Disability Studies Quarterly, 2019

This exploratory study examined the attitudes and experiences of a small sample of direct care wo... more This exploratory study examined the attitudes and experiences of a small sample of direct care workers' experiences of addressing the sexual expression and practices of their clients with intellectual disabilities. Drawing on in-depth interviews with direct care workers in Alberta, Canada, we use Foucault's work to examine the way power is exercised through organizational policies, personal values, and employment contexts. Altogether, the accounts of direct care workers seem to illuminate a culture that commonly sees disability and sexuality as antithetical and a topic to be avoided for fear of reprisal.

Research paper thumbnail of Cripping Sex Education

Research paper thumbnail of Also here, also queer

Young, Disabled and LGBT+, 2020