Representaciones sociales acerca de las personas con discapacidad presentes en direcciones y jefaturas administrativas de la Universidad de Costa Rica
Fecha
2020-12-02
Autores
Alfaro Miranda, Katalina
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Resumen
RESUMEN
Las representaciones sociales (RS) son entendidas como un conocimiento socialmente elaborado y compartido que se refiere a la sustitución cognitiva y social de un quién o un qué, a través de la transmisión de significados y sentidos en procesos socioculturales. Estas representaciones, orientan el accionar y las formas relacionales. Dos corrientes principales de estudio han caracterizado a este constructo, la corriente procesual (Jodelet, 1986, 2011) que privilegia el comportamiento social y la corriente estructural (Abric, 2001) acerca de su jerarquización interna.
Esta investigación se concentra en las RS acerca de las personas en condición de discapacidad (PcD) presentes en un grupo de 34 jefaturas administrativas y direcciones de la Universidad de Costa Rica, como niveles de mando de las unidades de trabajo, con gran injerencia sobre la gestión de personas en la Institución y por tanto, en la implementación de prácticas orientadas a la inclusión laboral real. Se siguió un diseño metodológico de corte transversal con un enfoque de análisis cualitativo desde la Teoría Fundamentada, empleando la técnica de entrevista en profundidad.
Como resultado se desarrolla un modelo teórico para la comprensión de la categorías en las que se organizan las RS del grupo entrevistado, el cual contempla a) un eje transversal en el tema de discapacidad, b) tres dimensiones constitutivas referidas a la gestión humana, las condiciones institucionales y el proceso de inclusión laboral, c) dos factores moduladores reconocidos en los procesos formativos y los vínculos socioafectivos desarrollados con personas con discapacidad surgidos de las experiencias de vida personal y laboral y d) representaciones sociales resultantes en torno al colectivo de PcD en general y en su rol de personas trabajadoras.
En conclusión, los nodos centrales derivados del contenido de las representaciones sociales en este grupo, son la inclusión laboral y la persona con discapacidad (principalmente la discapacidad física). Aparecen RS relativas a dudas sobre el desempeño de la PcD, ubicándolas en labores asistenciales y operativas o que impliquen bajos niveles de estrés.
Por un lado, las jefaturas presentan temores sobre la apropiación de su rol hacia la inclusión laboral, ligados a bajos niveles de formación y pocas experiencias de trabajo con PcD. Por otra parte, un pequeño grupo de participantes con altos niveles de formación y vínculos afectivos en su relación anterior con PcD marcó una diferenciación significativa del resto de la población entrevistada, evidenciando un uso correcto del lenguaje, congruencia de sus ideas, actitud propositiva, acciones concretas hacia la inclusión y empatía hacia la población con discapacidad.
Se identificaron brechas importantes entre el Modelo Social de la Discapacidad con elementos compatibles a la visión humanista promovida desde la Universidad de Costa Rica y la presencia de prácticas e ideas con elementos propios de paradigmas de discapacidad integracionista y asistencialista, así como la manifestación sutil de prejuicios acerca de las personas en condición de discapacidad entre ellos: que la inclusión requiere mucho trabajo, la comparación con otro normal (usando la expresión “normal entre comillas”), la necesidad de proteger a las PcD incluso si ello conlleva la no contratación, así como la creencia de que una persona con discapacidad psicosocial no tiene posibilidad de una inclusión laboral positiva.
Sin embargo, se registra la ausencia en esta población, de algunos mitos comunes acerca de las PcD, al no considerar “angelitos” o “personas enfermas” a las personas en condición de discapacidad y por el contrario, se comienzan a realizar acciones concretas hacia el reconocimiento de sus derechos. Se visibiliza a PcD específicas como personajes clave en la cultura laboral de la UCR y se coloca parte de la responsabilidad de la inclusión, en el entorno Institucional.
Además de la discapacidad física como RS extendida, se admite la discapacidad cognitiva y de personas sordas dentro de las RS existentes en la inclusión laboral, resaltando la labor de PROIN y PROGRESO para estas dos últimas nociones. Por otra parte, se hace referencia a la accesibilidad de los edificios más nuevos, se detecta la disposición auténtica, informada y consciente de un pequeño grupo dentro de las personas participantes del estudio, quienes desde su puesto han podido aportar en la inclusión laboral. Además, si bien el Modelo Integral para la Inclusión de PcD en la UCR fue poco conocido, también fue reconocido en su valor agregado a la Universidad entre quienes habían participado en experiencias de inclusión gracias a esta iniciativa.
Se elaboran recomendaciones dirigidas a las autoridades universitarias, a las PcD que laboran en la Institución, a las jefaturas administrativas y direcciones, así como a distintas instancias de la Universidad de Costa Rica. Éstas en la línea de: a) dar participación a las PcD en la toma de decisiones sobre inclusión laboral, b) trascender a un modelo de inclusión que implique la formación permanente y el acompañamiento extendido no solo a las PcD contratadas en plazas nuevas, y c) generar experiencias de inclusión laboral.
SUMMARY Social representations (SR) are understood to be socially elaborated and shared knowledge that refers to the cognitive and social substitution of a “who” or a “what” through the transmission of meanings and definitions in sociocultural processes. These representations guide the actions and the relational forms. Two main trends of study have characterized this construct, the procedural trend (Jodelet, 1986, 2011) that favors social behavior and the structural trend (Abric, 2001) with its internal hierarchy. This research focuses on SRs as it pertains to people with disabilities (PwDs) present in a group of 34 administrative heads and directorates of the University of Costa Rica, as well as levels of authority within the work units, while delving in on the people management process within the Institution and consequently in the implementation of practices oriented to real labor inclusion. A cross-sectional, methodological design was followed with a qualitative analysis approach from Grounded Theory, using the in-depth interview technique. As a result, a theoretical model is developed to comprehend the categories in which the SR of the interviewed group are organized, which includes a) a transverse axis on the issue of disability, b) three constitutive dimensions referred to people management, the institutional conditions and the process of labor inclusion, c) two modulating factors recognized in the training processes and the socio-affective bonds developed with people with disabilities arising from personal and work life experiences and d) resulting social representations around the group of PwDs in general and in their role as workers. In conclusion, the central nodes derived from the content of social representations in this group are labor inclusion and the person with a disability (mainly physical disability). SRs appear related to doubts about the performance of the PwD, placing them in assistant and operational work or work involving low levels of stress. On the one hand, the leadership presents fears about the appropriation of their role towards labor inclusion, linked to low levels of training and few work experiences with PwDs. On the other hand, a small group of participants with high levels of training and affective ties in their previous relations with PwDs marked a significant differentiation from the rest of the interviewed population, displaying a correct use of language, congruence of their ideas, propositional attitude, concrete actions towards inclusion and empathy towards the population with disabilities. Important gaps were identified between the Social Model of Disability with elements compatible with the humanistic vision promoted by the University of Costa Rica and the presence of practices and ideas with elements typical of integrationist and assistance-based paradigms of disability, as well as the subtle manifestation of prejudices towards people with disabilities among them: that inclusion requires a lot of work, the comparison with someone normal (using the expression “normal in quotation marks”), the need to protect PwDs even if it entails not hiring, as well as the belief that a person with psychosocial disability has no possibility of a positive labor inclusion. However, there is an absence of some common myths about PwDs in this population, as they do not consider them "angels" or "sick people", and on the contrary, concrete actions are initiated towards the recognition of their rights. Specific PwDs are identified as key characters in the work culture of the UCR and are given part of the responsibility for inclusion in the Institutional environment. In addition to physical disability as an extended SR, cognitive disability and deaf people are admitted within the existing SR in labor inclusion, highlighting the work of PROIN and PROGRESO for these last two notions. On the other hand, reference is made to the accessibility of the newer buildings, the authentic, informed and conscious disposition of a small group within the people participating in the study is detected, who from their position have been able to contribute to labor inclusion. Furthermore, although the Comprehensive Model for the Inclusion of PwDs in the UCR was little known, it was also recognized in its added value to the University among those who had participated in inclusion experiences thanks to this initiative. Recommendations are elaborated for the university authorities, the PwDs who work in the Institution, the administrative heads and directorates, as well as different instances of the University of Costa Rica. These are in the line of: a) giving PWDs participation in decision-making on labor inclusion, b) transcending an inclusion model that implies permanent training and extended accompaniment not only to PWDs hired in new positions, and c ) generate experiences of labor inclusion.
SUMMARY Social representations (SR) are understood to be socially elaborated and shared knowledge that refers to the cognitive and social substitution of a “who” or a “what” through the transmission of meanings and definitions in sociocultural processes. These representations guide the actions and the relational forms. Two main trends of study have characterized this construct, the procedural trend (Jodelet, 1986, 2011) that favors social behavior and the structural trend (Abric, 2001) with its internal hierarchy. This research focuses on SRs as it pertains to people with disabilities (PwDs) present in a group of 34 administrative heads and directorates of the University of Costa Rica, as well as levels of authority within the work units, while delving in on the people management process within the Institution and consequently in the implementation of practices oriented to real labor inclusion. A cross-sectional, methodological design was followed with a qualitative analysis approach from Grounded Theory, using the in-depth interview technique. As a result, a theoretical model is developed to comprehend the categories in which the SR of the interviewed group are organized, which includes a) a transverse axis on the issue of disability, b) three constitutive dimensions referred to people management, the institutional conditions and the process of labor inclusion, c) two modulating factors recognized in the training processes and the socio-affective bonds developed with people with disabilities arising from personal and work life experiences and d) resulting social representations around the group of PwDs in general and in their role as workers. In conclusion, the central nodes derived from the content of social representations in this group are labor inclusion and the person with a disability (mainly physical disability). SRs appear related to doubts about the performance of the PwD, placing them in assistant and operational work or work involving low levels of stress. On the one hand, the leadership presents fears about the appropriation of their role towards labor inclusion, linked to low levels of training and few work experiences with PwDs. On the other hand, a small group of participants with high levels of training and affective ties in their previous relations with PwDs marked a significant differentiation from the rest of the interviewed population, displaying a correct use of language, congruence of their ideas, propositional attitude, concrete actions towards inclusion and empathy towards the population with disabilities. Important gaps were identified between the Social Model of Disability with elements compatible with the humanistic vision promoted by the University of Costa Rica and the presence of practices and ideas with elements typical of integrationist and assistance-based paradigms of disability, as well as the subtle manifestation of prejudices towards people with disabilities among them: that inclusion requires a lot of work, the comparison with someone normal (using the expression “normal in quotation marks”), the need to protect PwDs even if it entails not hiring, as well as the belief that a person with psychosocial disability has no possibility of a positive labor inclusion. However, there is an absence of some common myths about PwDs in this population, as they do not consider them "angels" or "sick people", and on the contrary, concrete actions are initiated towards the recognition of their rights. Specific PwDs are identified as key characters in the work culture of the UCR and are given part of the responsibility for inclusion in the Institutional environment. In addition to physical disability as an extended SR, cognitive disability and deaf people are admitted within the existing SR in labor inclusion, highlighting the work of PROIN and PROGRESO for these last two notions. On the other hand, reference is made to the accessibility of the newer buildings, the authentic, informed and conscious disposition of a small group within the people participating in the study is detected, who from their position have been able to contribute to labor inclusion. Furthermore, although the Comprehensive Model for the Inclusion of PwDs in the UCR was little known, it was also recognized in its added value to the University among those who had participated in inclusion experiences thanks to this initiative. Recommendations are elaborated for the university authorities, the PwDs who work in the Institution, the administrative heads and directorates, as well as different instances of the University of Costa Rica. These are in the line of: a) giving PWDs participation in decision-making on labor inclusion, b) transcending an inclusion model that implies permanent training and extended accompaniment not only to PWDs hired in new positions, and c ) generate experiences of labor inclusion.