A presentation by Kifah Bani Odeh, Nicola Jones and Kate Pincock, IV ISA Forum of Sociology, February 2021

1. Kifah Bani Odeh, Nicola Jones, Kate Pincock
February 2021
Intersectional methodologies: engaging the
perspectives of adolescents with disabilities in Jordan

2. Presentation Outline
1
• GAGE overview
2
• GAGE findings
3
• Conclusions

3. Please note that the photographs of
adolescents DO NOT capture GAGE research
participants and consent was gained from
their guardians for the photographs to be
used for GAGE communications purposes.
GAGE overview
Disabled adolescent girl, Jordan @ Natalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

4. Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE):
A longitudinal research programme (2015-2024)
By finding out ‘what works,’ for whom, where and why, we
can better support adolescent girls and boys including the
most vulnerable adolescents (refugees, those with
disabilities, out of school, married girls and adolescent
mothers)
GAGE is a nine-year (2015-2024) mixed-methods longitudinal research programme exploring the
gendered experiences of young people aged 10-19 years, following the lives of 20,000 adolescents in
Ethiopia, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Nepal, Jordan & Lebanon.
Particular attention to the ways in which discriminatory
gender norms and practices interact with other forms of
social disadvantage to shape adolescents’ trajectories

5. Jordan: disability, gender and age
Estimates of disability among
children and adolescents globally
vary from 93 million to 150 million,
with 80% thought to be living in
low- and middle-income countries
(LMICs).
As young people go through adolescence,
gender norms become more rigidly
enforced by families, communities and
peers,
with the result that girls’ worlds become
smaller as their behaviour and social lives
are increasingly restricted (Marcus and
Harper 2015).
Girls with disabilities face the
additional constraint of disability
stigma, which further limits their
participation and agency (Jones et al
2018).
In Jordan, whilst laws exist that
oblige the state to take measures to
support those with disabilities,
disability is under-reported due to
negative attitudes (Al-Zyoudi 2006;
Mulazadeh and Alharbi 2018).
Women and girls with disabilities in
Jordan may be seen as a burden to
their families (Turmusani 2003; Al-
Zboon and Smadi 2015)
and lack support to participate in
education and other areas of life
(AlMakhamreh et al., 2015).

6. Intersectionality and methodology
•An intersectional approach recognises the way that disability interacts with age, gender and other social markers to
produce particular experiences of marginalisation; and that occupying multiple social identities reinforces the
experience of marginalisation (Crenshaw 1989; Collins 1990; Nash 2017).
Rather than being an inherent quality, disability is understood as a social experience: disability emerges through
interactions between impaired bodies and ableist norms, institutions and practices (Barnes & Mercer 1996; Bailey
et al 2015).
Participatory methods have become popular in research with marginalized younger people because they seek to
name and address inequalities which prevent participation (Bradbury-Jones et al 2018).
Whilst participatory methods are often seen as more enjoyable and fun, it is important that they also attend to these
power dynamics, and seek to promote young people’s expression on their own terms (Kraftl 2013).

7. Sample: participatory and qualitative research with adolescents with
disabilities in Jordan
Individual interviews
Type of impairment Boys 10-12 Girls 10-12 Boys 15-17 Girls 15-17 TOTAL
Hearing 3 4 3 8 18
Visual 8 4 5 6 23
Physical 4 4 3 4 15
TOTAL 15 12 11 18 56
Participatory research
Type of impairment Male Female Nationality
Hearing
6 2 Jordanian
5
Palestinian
3 Palestinian
Visual 7 Palestinian

8. Participatory research activities
Community physical
mapping:
to identify community
resources and services,
and the challenges that
prevent adolescents with
disabilities from accessing
them.
Photo training sessions:
adolescents with
disabilities took
photographs that
represent their
community, where
places they go, traditions
and culture in their
community.
Virtual mapping: to
explore how adolescents
with disabilities
communicate with the
world.
Intergenerational trios:
adolescents with
disabilities interviewed
mothers and grandmothers
and compared how
adolescents’ lives have
changed over three
generations, especially
regarding gender norms
and child marriage.
Madam President activity:
adolescents with disabilities
encouraged to think about
what they would tell
someone in power about the
challenges they face, and
solutions to these challenges
from their perspectives.

9. Girl in a Gaza camp © Nathalie Bertrams /GAGE 2019
GAGE findings

10. Findings: Strengths and advantages
Multiple tools and activities meant it was possible to adapt
and cater the research methods to adolescents’ strengths and
interests. Eg:
 Physical mapping and virtual exercises were accessible to
adolescents with visual impairments as they were able to
talk and express their feelings and thoughts.
 Photographic activities and diary-writing were accessible to
adolescents with hearing or speech impairments because
they enabled them to share their view of the world
visually or in written form.
‘I felt so happy when I saw the competition between the girls with
hearing problems sending daily photos and the happiness they felt
when one of them posted her drawing in GAGE website.’
researcher An adolescent with disability, Jordan © Nathalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

11. Findings: Challenges
• However, researchers sometimes faced difficulties explaining the activities to adolescents with disabilities,
especially adolescents with hearing disabilities due to limited signing abilities and/or the use of non-standard
sign language that sign interpreters were not familiar with.
Difficulties with explaining the activities
• due to the need to allow lots of time for questions, recording of multiple types of data, and supporting the
development of a group dynamic that will allow open discussion.
The research is time-consuming
• There were difficulties in maintaining concentration amongst the adolescents at times due to these
challenges.
Difficulties in maintaining concentration
• Considerable negotiation with parents was also required in order to ensure participation of girls with
disabilities given high levels of discrimination and stigma towards persons with disabilities, compounded by
restrictive gender norms – it was also important to have a researcher of Palestinian background to foster trust
with the community given high levels of marginalization that stateless Palestinians in Jordan experience.
Negotiation with parents was also required

12. Findings: Gender differences for girls
Family pressure:
Families were sometimes reluctant to allow their daughters to
participate in research activities (especially when it took up a
lot of time) due to social and cultural norms that restrict girl’s
mobility.
‘Miss, my mother asked me how many days we will come here
and at the end of the sessions what we benefited from that’ –
girl aged 16
House chores:
Girls’ responsibilities in the home such as chores meant they
would sometimes drop out from the group or miss an
activity.
‘One 16-year-old girl who was very active in her group had
to leave when her sister had a baby and she was needed at
home to help’ - researcher
Some activities (eg taking photos alone) were not seen as
suitable for girls within the local context
meaning that the researchers needed to be careful about
accompanying them and ensuring they did not go to places
where they might encounter problems. This limited the
photos that they were able to take.

13. Findings: Gender differences for boys
Boys were sometimes also absent from groups due to
assisting with family livelihood activities or business.
‘We are Bedouin and need to move to another green area for
the grass, so my father asked me to not go to school or
sessions until we fix the new place for the sheep’
- boy aged 17 who did not attended his training for using the
camera because his father asked him to take care about
sheep and goats.
However, boys enjoyed the photography activities because
they have fewer mobility restrictions, and therefore were
able to freely take more photos that represented their
community and culture.
‘I am so happy, I went for long walk to take pictures and
invited my friends, I was so proud that I own this camera’ –
boy aged 17.
Boys were less committed or interested in attending the
sessions as their family allowed them to be outside the
house and interact with friends freely.

14. Conclusions
1
• A mixed methods participatory toolkit which attends to systemic gender, age and disability-related
differences in participation as well as adolescents’ individual interests expands opportunities for
meaningful expression.
2
• The participatory activities also created space for adolescents and researchers to reflect on the
norms and practices which allow for and prevent differential participation by boys and girls more
broadly.
3
• An intersectional framework recognizes the ways that gender, age and disability reinforce each
other to produce particular experiences.
4
• More inclusive and varied methodologies can benefit not only adolescents with disabilities but can
widen opportunities for participation by all.

15. Contact Us
WEBSITE
www.gage.odi.org
TWITTER
@GAGE_programme
FACEBOOK
GenderandAdolescence
About GAGE:
 Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence
(GAGE) is a nine-year (2015-2024) mixed-
methods longitudinal research programme
focused on what works to support
adolescent girls’ and boys’ capabilities in the
second decade of life and beyond.
 We are following the lives of 20,000
adolescents in six focal countries in Africa,
Asia and the Middle East.