The impact of advertisements on women’s psychological and emotional states: exploring navigation and resistance of disabling stereotypes

Abstract

Representations of disabled women in advertising have been historically problematic. Largely, such portrayals have reinforced disability and gender stereotypes. This is an important issue to address because cultural representations have the ability to challenge or support widespread attitudes and beliefs surrounding identity groups. In addition, representations can generate micro level impact, for example, influencing how individual’s perceive themselves. In this article, Thomas’s (1999) concept of psycho-emotional disablism is used to enhance understandings of the relationship between advertising messages and individual psychological and emotional states. The feminist disability studies research presented in this article explores how women with mental health issues navigate advertising portrayals of mental health and gender. The findings develop existing knowledge of psycho-emotional disablism through demonstrating how individuals often use problematic advertising messages and memories of psycho-emotional oppression as a vehicle for positive self-transformation and as a way of resisting cultural stereotypes.