ABSTRACT
In this chapter, a number of advantages of the Social Representations Theory are illustrated. An argument is proposed that the theory is a comprehensive approach to help understand why people think and act the way they do in relation to disabilities. The theories of stigma and of attitudes provide us with valuable insights, but they are both circumscribed by important limitations. The theory of stigma is overshadowed by its focus on the negative aspect in the stigmatization itself. The individualistic approach and issues with causal relationships between attitude and human behavior seen in attitude research is an issue for the theory of attitudes. The Social Representations Theory does not contain such limitations. In addition, some aspects important for the future directions of research based in and around Social Representations Theory are outlined. For example, the need to include a power aspect is noted. The new media landscape and ethnic mobility are discussed. Although the theory is a very helpful tool for understanding representations of disabilities, the need for further research of the topic using the theory and for sharpening the theory is mentioned. The authors of this text hope that this book will assist in guiding others to use the theory for application in research of disabilities.
