Reconceptualizing Social Acceptance: Stigma, Prejudice, and the Developmental Implications of School Experiences of Students with Intellectual Disability

Societal prejudices shape the social positioning of students with intellectual disability in educational contexts. This study explores how social acceptance is produced and contested through everyday interactions influenced by stigma, cultural norms, and institutional practices. Drawing on Goffman's conceptualization of stigma and Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems framework, social acceptance is treated as a relational and power-laden process rather than an individual trait. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers and parents of children with and without intellectual disability. Analysis revealed six interconnected themes: empathy and tolerance, peer interaction, language use, teacher attitudes, structural constraints, and parental awareness. Findings highlight that teacher attitudes and school practices are central in reproducing or challenging stigma, while parental awareness mediates peer inclusion. Rather than simply promoting social acceptance, the study emphasizes critically examining the normative conditions through which inclusion is granted within educational settings.