Discussion Questions Week 7/26

1. An individual can feel shame for being laughed at for having a disability (Gray, Pakinson, & Dunbar, 2015).

Reference:

Gray, A. W., Parkinson, B., & Dunbar, R. I. (2015). Laughter’s influence on the intimacy of self-disclosure. Human Nature: An Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective, 26(1), 28-43.

It is suggested by current research theory that laughter works to build relationships between people. Therefore, laughter should be connected to interpersonal connection important to the development of relationships. To develop close social bonds, disclosing behaviors are seen as a way to help this process. It is thought that the act of laughing could momentarily reduce a laugher’s reluctance to disclose personal information. In this experiment, characteristics of self-disclosing statements produced by those who had watched previously one of three video clips differed in the extent to which they elicited laughter and positive affect. The results show that disclosure intimacy is significantly higher after laughter than in the control group. This suggests that this effect may be due, in part, to laughter itself. On the other hand, the research further indicates that an individual can feel shame for being laughed at for a disability.

This will support my project as far as the stigma of having a disability. If individuals have a disability (whether it is invisible or not) and have been the subject of laughter or bullying this can have a long-term impact on their willingness to disclose this to others. The concept of feeling shame regarding a potential flaw in their ability to perform a job could make an individual silent on any disability related issues even if they could assist them in job performance. This supports the previous research that suggests individuals with invisible disabilities are concerned about the stigma of revelation.

2. Brigitte D. had some differing thoughts on the ideas in the original article “The subtle sexism of your open office plan”. While she initially agreed that there is a level of self-consciousness in the open plan, there was a sense that this was a temporary situation. Brigitte herself was able to develop the ability to ignore the situation. However, it was the sensory overload that was problematic due to the open office plans. It was so severe that it got to a point where she could barely function and concentrate. As we consider individuals with sensory processing difficulties (either small or more significant), they can have a substantial impact on an employee’s success. For instance, many autistic adults are unable to concentrate in an open-plan office because of the background noise? Brigitte used numerous examples such as a man who drummed erratically on his desk, while another one whistled. At another place the sound of the dinging microwave and opening of the refrigerator combined with another employee who utilized too much perfume every morning.

Sensitivity to noise at work can be very erratic, especially if you work in an environment where certain times of the day are busy and other times are quiet. Without a place to support employees with auditory sensitivities, this type of work environment is challenging at best.

Although Brigitte spoke up at work, it appears the situation was not resolved. That speaks volumes for the state of how employees are handled with valid concerns. The fact that she transferred from position to position with various organizations is troubling. Would it have made a difference if a man had a problem with the same situation? At the end of her post is the final comment, “In all my career I saw two setups that promoted productivity, both were in having an individual office space temporarily, during construction of a new cubicle setup”…and there you have it.