Family and disability: aesthetic relations as mediations

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the meanings attributed by parents of people with intellectual disabilities in relation to their aesthetic experiences in a social inclusion program. The field of study is the “Arts for All Program”, which aims to promote the social inclusion of people with disabilities from different artistic modalities. The program counts on the involvement of six parents of people with intellectual disabilities in this process. The data construction process took place through semi-structured interviews, carried out in a virtualized way and taking place through the social network WhatsApp. Data systematization was developed from content analysis, based on (MORAES, 1999; BARDIN, 2016). The theoretical framework was supported by cultural-historical psychology, with Vygotsky (1997; 2001) and Sawaia (2001) as the main authors. The results of this research show that parents of people with intellectual disabilities notice the importance of spaces that promote the development of their children, for example the program under study. The research subjects emphasize that the possibility of participating in art classes with their children allowed the construction of new perspectives towards themselves and their children. It can be seen in the parents' statements that participation in classes produced important effects in looking at their children and the bonds between them. This study also discusses how the impasses experienced by families of people with disabilities are permeated by political and social factors, which indicate the need for Psychology to produce more critical readings about the relationship between family and disability.