Towards Improving the Wellbeing of PWDs in Tanzania
Unveiling Ableism in Identified Songs’ Lyrics
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23312132 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Edwin Anderson Mwakibete (0000-0002-2112-9941, University of Dar es Salaam, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 1-14 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-26 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Eastern African Literary and Cultural Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2327-7408 • E-ISSN: 2327-7416 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/23277408.2026.2674412 |
| OpenAlex | W7171325145 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
Despite recent improvements through disability rights and inclusion policies, the well-being of persons/people with disabilities (PWDs) in Tanzania remains a pressing concern. PWDs continue to contend with labelling, segregation, discrimination, and even violence. At the same time, extant literature has explored ableism.Footnote1 This study focuses on identifying and disclosing ableist lyrical content in Tanzanian songs, a noted gap in the literature. Using the Social Model of Disability within Critical Disability Theory (CDT), the study reveals subtle ableist messages embedded in identified songs, which further the marginalisation and exclusion of PWDs. Findings suggest that religious, cultural, and historical factors influence the composition of these messages. Surprisingly, listeners often enjoy these songs without recognising the ableism they espouse; as such, the songs dominate the airwaves and resonate across the country without restriction. The study calls for heightened societal awareness of both overt and covert ableism in music and broader cultural contexts to improve the welfare of PWDs and society.
Ableism · Loneliness · Lyrics · Pessimism · Work (physics) · African studies and sociopolitical issues · Diverse Musicological Studies · Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies
Qualitative Content Analysis in Practice
Ableism
Humanness and Ableism
African Beliefs Concerning People with Disabilities
Mothering Special Children
Could you hold the door for me? Including disability in diversity
Neoliberal restructuring, disabled people and social (in)security in Australia and Britain
Ideology and the Killing of Albinos in Tanzania
The taboo of sexuality and the desire for parenthood of people with intellectual disabilities living in care facilities in France
Poverty alleviation for people with disabilities in China
Labeling albinism
Recognizing the rights of children with disabilities in Malawi
The bad belle model
Neoliberalism, postsocialism, disability
Precarious Lives in the Global South
Six Ways of Looking at Crip Time
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Miners' magic
Time Harms
| Highly cited | No |
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