41. Salem, M. O. Stigma and the Origin of Disability: The Case of the Palestinians. Master's Thesis, University of Manchester, 1990: 107 pp.

Due to the lack of primary data on the issue of Intifada-related disability and disability in general, the main purpose of this study is to raise questions and to propose directions for future research. The author presents a model of disability that views it as a social construct "affected by a range of different variables that define the social meaning and experience of disability". The 'Intifada-disabled' Palestinians are presented as an example of honorific disabilities, where they are considered heroes by their society and are seen as symbols of collective resistance and steadfastness. The effect of this attitude towards other disabled Palestinians remains to be studied. A theoretical discussion is provided on physical disability and its causes, the attached stigma, cultural variance in viewing disabilities and physical disabilities in a political context. The study compares the situation of the 'Intifada-disabled' to those from other societies such as the honorific disabled in Nicaragua and Eritrea. However, the case of the Palestinians is most similar to that of South Africans, where the disabilities is an extension of a long history of political oppression, rather than simply being a function of the momentary political violence. The author suggests that future research in this field should focus on 1) viewing disability from a political lens, 2) understanding the experience and manifestation of disability over a period of time, 3) longitudinal studies shedding light on the different adoptive measures used by the individual and society in accommodating a new physical state, and 4) including disabled people in such research. Besides giving the disabled a voice, this would also test the hypothesis of whether the 'Intifada-disabled' can serve as a catalyst in changing society's views about the disabled in general.