The Reception of Disability Policy in France: A Qualitative Life Course Perspective on Policy Impact

Abstract

How can a qualitative life course approach inform the analysis of the impact of disability policy on individual lives? This contribution puts forward the concept of policy reception in an effort to apply the key principles of a life course perspective to the study of policy impact, a perspective which is of particular relevance in the case of disability policy. Drawing on a broader qualitative study of the reception of disability policy in France, the paper, focusing on the in-depth analysis of two life stories, makes two main contributions. The first is theoretical, putting forward the concept of policy reception to address the missing link between “the state and the life course,” as pointed out by Mayer and Schoepflin (1989). The second is methodological, detailing how biographical interviews, following this life course approach, can be used to operationalize this concept of policy reception. These contributions are illustrated by study results focusing on the reception of disability-related educational policies.

Citation

Revillard, A. (2023), "The Reception of Disability Policy in France: A Qualitative Life Course Perspective on Policy Impact", Dillaway, H.E., Shandra, C.L. and Bender, A.A. (Ed.) Disabilities and the Life Course (Research in Social Science and Disability, Vol. 14), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 107-123. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-354720230000014007