📌 The public defence of the academic monograph will be held on 19th of October 2026 at 1 P.M., room 102. The defence will be conducted in spoken English, with interpretation into Lithuanian Sign Language (LSL).
The defence will take place in an accessible venue. Participants who may need additional assistance are kindly asked to contact the organisers in advance by email at ugne.gervickaite@ism.lt or by phone at +370 612 59672.
Beyond Disability Stigma: Socio-Historical Dynamics and Contemporary Employment Opportunities
The academic monograph was prepared 2020-2026 at the ISM University of Management and Economics.
Supervisor:
Prof. Dr. Ilona Bučiūnienė (ISM University of Management and Economics, Social Sciences, Management, S003)
Summary:
This academic monograph examines the employment opportunities of people with disabilities through the interplay of historical socio-cultural narratives and contemporary society–community dynamics. Particular attention is given to how organisational processes, (self-)stigmatisation, and individual perceptions of the future shape these opportunities. Lithuania is selected as the primary empirical context, while European historical and cultural narratives are used to examine how historically formed assumptions continue to shape contemporary attitudes towards disability. The empirical analysis is based on 45 in-depth semi-structured interviews with employees with mobility and vision impairments, conducted in 2020 and 2023, and 32 interviews with employer representatives, conducted in 2024 and 2025. Based on this research, the author develops an analytical model integrating three interconnected dimensions – Time, Limitations, and Opportunities. Each dimension is examined at both the structural and individual levels and situated within the aforementioned context of community–society dynamics. The findings show that professional opportunities cannot be explained by formal rights or individual effort alone. Rather, they emerge through the interaction of personal agency, organisational support, historical legacies, and shared responsibility.
Defence council:
Chairperson:
Prof. Dr. Vita Akstinaitė (ISM University of Management and Economics, Social Sciences, Management, S 003)
Members:
Dr. Liza Castro Christiansen (Henley Business School, University of Reading, Social Sciences, Management, S003)
Prof. Dr. Vilmantė Kumpikaitė-Valiūnienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Management, S003)
Prof. Dr. Virginija Poškutė (ISM University of Management and Economics, Social Sciences, Management, S003)
Prof. Dr. Jonas Ruškus (Vytautas Magnus University, Social Sciences, Education, S007)
