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Abberley, P. (1987). The concept of oppression and the development of a social
theory of disability. Disability, Handicap and Society, 2 (1), 5-19.
The paper argues that a social theory of disability can best be developed
through the use of the concept of oppression. Emphasis is placed on the importance
of the social origins of impairment in such an analysis. Ways in which the
approach utilizes data gathered from other theoretical perspectives is indicated.
Barnes, C., Mercer, G., Shakespeare, T., and Mercer, G. (1999). Exploring
disability: A sociological introduction.
Emphasizes a sociological view of disability emerging as a challenge to traditional
medical models. Introduces theory of disability including social barriers and
attitudes, community support, disability politics and activism, and media representations
of disability. Challenges old models and urges a new perspective on disability
as a cultural construct.
Cassuto, L. (1999) Whose field is it, anyway? Disability studies in
the academy. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Internet: http://chronicle.merit.edu/colloquy/99/disability/background.htm
This author addresses the question of the legitimacy of disability
studies and the issue of one's disability (or lack of) for those
in the disability studies field. He begins by describing his
own experience regarding how
members in this field perceive those who are not disabled but teach disability
studies. Afterward, the author then addresses this issue further by offering
a comparison of some of the similarities between disability studies and
ethnic studies (using African-American studies as an example).
His argues that
attempting to exclude the non-disabled from disability studies would limit
diverse perspectives and be less productive. He asserts that it is beneficial
to have interdisciplinary studies to help bring forth and criticize disciplinary
models. He also asserts that disability studies has been limiting itself
to only the disabled and needs to be more accepting of others to achieve
a higher level of legitimacy.
Charlton, J. I. (1998). Nothing about us without us: Disability oppression
and empowerment. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Analysis of the oppression of disabled individuals, focusing on comparisons
and contrasts to multicultural definitions of oppression. Primarily examines
these issues through interviews with disability rights activists throughout
the world.
Ingstad, B., Reynolds Whyte, S. (1995). (Eds.) Disability and culture. Los
Angeles, CA: University of California Press.
Explores an anthropological model of disability, emphasizing multicultural
frameworks and social contexts.
Linton, S. (1998). Claiming disability: Knowledge and identity. New York:
New York University Press.
This book outlines past and present models of disability in society, focusing
on definitions, attitudes, and cultural constructs. Linton presents evidence
of discrimination, misinformation, and social barriers related to how disabled
individuals are collectively treated and viewed. Specifically, the academy
is a site where knowledge needs to be expanded and integrated to provide a
more inclusive and progressive notion of disability. Disability studies is
an interdisciplinary curricular framework which can address these issues, drawing
from multicultural, legal, socio-political, psychological, and other cultural
models examining identity in society.
Robertson, B. A. (1994). Disability Culture, Community, and Pride. Developed
for inclusion in the curriculum for Project L.E.E.D.S. (Leadership Education
to Empower Disabled Students).
This article examines the social contexts defining "disability" as
a culture, outlining the political movements and past models
shaping this emerging concept.
This includes the influences of the civil rights movement and challenges
to the medical model of disability. By framing disability within
a socio-political
framework, focusing on the forces of oppression, activists have been able
to identify societal attitudes and cultural barriers that negatively
impact disabled
individuals. By viewing disability as a culture, strength can be gained
collectively through redefining and challenging outdated models
of disability that continue
to misrepresent the larger picture. The authors identify new values emerging
in this culture, such as independence, completeness, and alliance.
Scheer, J., & Groce, N. (1988). Impairment as a human constant: Cross-cultural
and historical perspectives on variation. Journal of Social Issues, 44 (1),
23-37.
Disability is a human constant: all human societies have and always had disabled
members. Although the presence of such individuals is a constant, culturally
shared responses to them vary greatly across time and social context.
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