ERIC Number: EJ1331688
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1366-8250
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
"It's Ignorant Stereotypes": Key Stakeholder Perspectives on Stereotypes Associated with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Alcohol, and Pregnancy
Aspler, John; Bogossian, Aline; Racine, Eric
Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, v47 n1 p53-64 2022
Background: People with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and women who drink alcohol while pregnant can experience stigma, possibly exacerbated by stereotyped media portrayals. Method: To understand experiences of FASD stakeholders and reactions to news coverage, we conducted twelve focus groups across three categories: (1) people with FASD; (2) caregivers; and (3) professionals. Themes were identified using "framework analysis." Results: We identified stereotypes about: (1) FASD (e.g., negative life trajectories); (2) alcohol and pregnancy (e.g., bad mothers); and (3) non-biological caregivers. Participants identified potential effects of FASD stereotypes (e.g., self-fulfilling prophecies) and alcohol and pregnancy stereotypes (e.g., exacerbating difficult decisions about disclosing a child's adoptive status). Conclusions: Our results align with research about difficult experiences of FASD stakeholders. However, while Canadian news analyses found people with FASD portrayed as criminals, our participants identified mostly non-crime stereotypes. Participants also sometimes shifted the burden of motherhood stereotypes from low-income to higher-income women.
Descriptors: Pregnancy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Drinking, Social Bias, Stereotypes, Females, News Reporting, Caregiver Attitudes, Professional Personnel, Parenting Skills, Mothers, Criminals, Income, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A