S. Todd, Working in the public and private domains: staff management of community activities for and the identities of people with intellectual disability, J INTEL DIS, 44, 2000, pp. 600-620
In addition to describing how the concept of stigma continues to be a perva
sive influence in encounters between people with intellectual disability an
d others, the present study suggests that the management of this situation
has passed into the control of care staff. An ethnographic study of young a
dults and community relationships suggests that the activities of staff are
crucial in shaping the social profile of people with intellectual disabili
ty The views of care staff about the taken-for-granted rights which charact
erize presence and participation in the community domain encourage them to
adopt a semi-insulation approach to their work. Staff extend this approach
by adopting information control strategies to conceal important information
from students. The present author argues that there is a need for on-going
research into staff activity in the community domain.