iPad: a Portal - Shil M.
Description:
The artifact is a first-generation iPad that was given to my family by a relative from the US when we were in India in 2010. It is in a black Otterbox cover that is quite thick, with multiple detachable layers. It no longer works.
Significance:
I chose this iPad because it represents curiosity, the pursuit of knowledge, and the awakening of my sexuality in an environment that was quite regressive and shame-filled. Sex was a taboo topic, especially as a young child. It represents the duality of technology and how it can be both harmful and a benefit to developing minds and those with intellectual disabilities. It can allow those who do not have access to standard means of learning about sex and disability to do so with privacy and without shame, but also expose them to harmful material that warps their understanding.
Positionality:
I am interested in Disability and Sex because the intersection of those two domains reveals underlying prejudices and inequalities in society. How those with disabilities are seen and treated by the broader society reveals the dynamics of romantic and sexual attraction, which are partially determined by attitudes and norms regarding ability and role performance in society and by factors such as ethnicity, age, and more. As a young immigrant man from India, much of my experiences and the media I have consumed have primed me to see Whiteness as being attractive and desirable, and myself less so in turn.
Impact:
This project has impacted my understanding of myself as a sexual being and allowed me to reflect on how I came to acquire my knowledge and understanding of sexuality—both my own and that of others. It has broadened my view of what is acceptable and normal to feel and do, as well as important concepts such as consent. I have been able to reflect on my opinions on ability and attractiveness and reflect on my ableist views. It has also made me aware of the benefits and drawbacks of technology when it comes to learning about sexuality and disability.
Wish List:
I hope my artefact inspires viewers to be aware of both the benefits and risks of exposure to topics such as sexuality and disability through technology. I wish that viewers, going forward, critically examine their own beliefs regarding sexuality—their own and that of others—and disability, especially what that means to them and their own capacities. I hope that viewers reflect on their beliefs and views regarding disability and how those with disabilities should be seen in the context of attraction and desirability. Finally, I hope that this project has helped break taboos around sexuality and disability.
Scholarship:
Sexuality and disability are complex topics that intersect with a multitude of identities and aspects of modern life. In the context of this project, I have linked them to shame, technology—including pornography and online dating—, youth sexual development, Whiteness, and ethnicity. Disability adds another layer to all of these factors, compounding with vectors of oppression to produce worse outcomes for those belonging to these identities. Technology plays a large role in sexual development and understanding in the modern world, especially amongst children. Children are often exposed to sexual content through various forms of media, including pornography, which arguably have various adverse effects on their development. Realist perspectives on this topic argue that access to pornography in childhood fosters unrealistic and harmful views on sex, relationships, women, and safe sex (Brandon-Friedman 2019). Media also portrays sex as a natural, pleasurable, and expected part of youth, leading children and teenagers to feeling pressured to have sex, and does not focus enough on safe sexual practices, thus failing to prepare children to have sex (Fox & Bale 2017). However, others argue that these views come from a moral panic that serves to further victimise women by making their sexuality taboo and ignoring cultural and social differences (Brandon-Friedman 2019). Discussions regarding the pleasure of women, LGBTQI+ people, aged people, people who are larger-sized, and children are underrepresented in both the literature and media, with heteronormative, ableist, and ageist depictions being prevalent (Tepper 2000). Mainstream institutions have also pushed abstinence-only or reproductive models of sex that fail to discuss safe sexual practices or pleasure (Tepper 2000). However, having access to information from reliable sources can lead to youths having better sexual outcomes, such as lower rates of teen pregnancy and STDs (Mark & Wu 2022). Similarly, there are both positive and negative experiences of dating online for LGBTIQ+ people with disabilities. Online dating platforms, rather than being neutral spaces independent of prejudices and stigma, tend to instead perpetuate normative views about ableism, sexuality, and gender that further stigma and shame for LGBTQI+ people and people with disabilities (Mazur 2022). Whiteness and ethnicity also play roles in what is considered attractive and desirable by members of society. According to Nagel (2000), sexuality and ethnicity intersect where power is exerted, meaning that what is considered attractive in a society is often dictated by the dominant ethnicity or race. Whiteness is thus a global phenomenon where the features and culture of White people are seen as the most attractive and thus the ideal to be strived towards (Nagel 2000). Inversely, those belonging to other ethnicities but living in Western countries often face shame, ridicule, and pressure to conform to Western norms regarding sexuality and culture (Nagel 2000). In order to move away from these ‘—isms’ to a more egalitarian and free society, education must critically engage with the root causes of these issues and teach sex as being socially constructed to break the conceptions of ‘normal’ and ‘unnatural’ sex (Giertsen, Lavie-Ajayi & McKay 2021).
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