Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Ψηφιακά Μέσα Επικοινωνίας και Περιβάλλοντα ΑλληλεπίδρασηςLibrary of the Faculties of Political Science and Public Administration, Communication and Mass Media Studies, Turkish and Modern Asian Studies, Sociology
Supervisors info:
Γκούσκος Δημήτρης. Επίκουρος καθηγητής. Τμήμα Επικοινωνίας και Μέσων Μαζικής Ενημέρωσης. Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών.
Original Title:
Η ενίσχυση της αυτοσυνηγορίας σε ανθρώπους με νοητική αναπηρία μέσα από την χρήση του Facebook
Translated title:
The empowerment of self-advocacy of people with intellectual disabilities through the use of Facebook
Summary:
Social media have the potential to support the self-advocacy of people with intellectual disabilities. However, there are not enough studies that analyze how social media improve self-advocacy as well as how users with intellectual disabilities are benefited at a personal level.
In order to study this issue, a research was conducted involving two people with intellectual disabilities who are also Facebook users. The research required the collaboration of the researcher with the two participants with intellectual disabilities in order to develop personal digital narratives based on how the participants approached the subject of self-advocacy and human rights. From the very beginning the digital narratives were created having in mind that they would be published on Facebook.
During the training process, the participants were asked to define what self-advocacy is for them and how they tend to use Facebook. Based on their answers the researcher evaluated how their attitude changed regarding the use of Facebook to promote self-advocacy.
The recording and analysis of the results was based on theories of the self-determined learning theory, life storytelling and the theory of uses and gratifications of social media.
According to the survey, Facebook can empower self-advocacy by motivating people with intellectual disabilities to create personal narratives through which they present themselves and their lives autonomously, as they are experiencing them without focusing or hiding their disability. For the two participants, the motivation was to show their friendship to their online circle of friends. Friendship as a concept is very important for them as it symbolizes the desired behavior they would like to receive from everyone because it is based on the principles of respect and trust.
Keywords: intellectual disability, self-advocacy, social media, Facebook, digital storytelling, life storytelling, self-determined learning theory.
Main subject category:
Social, Political and Economic sciences
Keywords:
self-advocacy, human rights, intellectual disability, social media, Facebook, digital storytelling
