Resisting third spaces and reclaiming identity: disability and sexuality through critical lenses in Bangladesh

Abstract

This paper sheds light on the portrayals of people with disabilities (PWDs) in the socio-cultural landscape of Bangladesh through the critical lenses of poststructuralism. Viewing from the sharp eyes of these theories and engaging them with the cultural, political, gendered, and disability aspects of Bangladesh, this paper reveals how PWD’s identity is formed, how power can be negotiated and resistance embodies the layered dynamics through performativity, endurance and tolerance. Following a qualitative reflexive approach and narrative inquiry using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) from the fieldworks. This paper highlights the narratives of lived experiences and cultural representations of PWDs in contemporary Bangladesh with the help of juxtaposing the theoretical frameworks and linking up these with the field observations and findings.