Understanding (disabled people as) ghosts in professional work: the contribution of feminist research

Historically, the sociology of professions was concerned to explain how closure strategies used by social and political elites sustained professional class and status divisions. More recently, the debate has focused on more subtle and informal processes and criteria used by professions to reproduce themselves, shaping accepted notions of what constitutes an ‘ideal’ professional. There is now an established literature on how professional work and identities have been shaped by gendered norms and values. By contrast, disabled people in professional work have received limited attention, despite contemporary pressures on professions to demonstrate greater diversity and inclusivity. The extent to which the gender and professions literature can inform a research agenda aimed at understanding the much neglected position of disabled professionals will be examined. Drawing on key concepts from critical disability studies, including ableism, disability, and impairment/effects, the discussion seeks to illuminate issues faced by under-researched disabled professionals, in business and management.