Psychoanalytical interpretations of prejudices with emphasis on prejudices towards persons with disabilities

Abstract

This paper deals with interpretations of prejudices and specifically, prejudices towards people with disabilities, from the perspective of one of the many theoretical approaches. Psychoanalytic theoretical point of view interpret prejudices through the personality of the individual. The study and interpretation of prejudices towards people with disabilities is one of the major themes of modern social model of disability. Psychoanalytic interpretations determine prejudices, as well as prejudices towards people with disabilities, as a result of defense mechanisms, especially projection. This paper discusses the emotional component of attitude, based on its predominance in prejudices, as a extreme attitudes. In this analysis we have taken into account the emotional and unconscious reactions that can compose an emotional ambivalence in relation to the object of an attitude. Prejudice towards people with disabilities were brought in connection with the irrational and emotional reactions and unconscious fantasies related to the object of an attitude.

Keywords

• prejudices
• person with disabilities
• psychoanalytic theory
• defense mechanisms