This essay sets out to explain how and why disability has been constructed as a medical problem; additionally, the way in which the medical model has influenced policies and practices for disabled people will be evidenced. According to Brisenden (1986) the term ‘disabled’ is used collectively to describe individuals who do not function the same as people who are classified as 'normal’. However, the Equality Act 2010 defines disability as having a ‘physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities’ (Gov.uk, 2015). Using a range of sources, this essay will succinctly highlight issues surrounding disability during the early twentieth century, before giving a definition …show more content…
The disability movement of the 1970s helped ensure that every single person registered disabled, has the right to feel part of society, they have the right not to be discriminated against, or excluded from participation in any social event, organisation, or employment (Gov.UK, 2015). Nevertheless, for much of the twentieth century, disabled individuals had no rights; they were viewed as a burden on society, unable to fulfil any social roles, a victim of a personal tragedy and were sanctioned to the sick role (Barnes & Mercer, 2014). The sick role theory belongs to the functionalist sociologist named Talcott Parsons. Parsons (1951) reasoned that sickness threatens the natural order of society because illness impedes a person contributing to society. Parsons (1951) argued that good health is ‘normal’ and is necessary for a functional society, his views sickness as deviant behaviour since ill health deviates from a normal function. The sick role allows a person to have two rights; firstly, to be exempt from normal social roles; secondly, that the person is not held responsible for their condition (Parsons, 1951). Thus, giving authorisation for the individual to be absent from work, school or other societal duties. However, for the absence to be authorised, Parsons (1951) points out that the individual needs to fulfil two obligations. Primarily, the person should try to get better; secondly, the person should seek medical help and cooperate with the medical professional. Therefore, any absence must be recognised by a medical expert who must certify that the person is ill, this certification or doctors note legitimises the illness and authorises the person to be excused from their duties (Giddens & Griffiths, 2006). However, the sick role is a model that only takes into consideration short term illnesses. For instance, a person suffering from sciatica may be excused
With Lisa I.Iezzoni’s reading, it showcases how disability is a without a doubt attached to discrimination of disability by separation of identity, people. It adheres to the moral reflection that people need to garner which emphasizes “cultural perspectives on health and illness, social justice, and the moral dimensions of patient encounters.” (Jones, Wear, Friedman, 2014) In turn, health and illness as depicted in a narrative can uncover the truth and contentions of a phenomenon through repeated phrase, metaphor and perspective as with the case of “Stand
Gender has been broadly used within the humanities and social sciences as both a means to categories dissimilarities, and as a logical concept to give details differences. In both the humanities and social sciences. Disability studies has appeared partly as a result of challenges to give details gendered experience of disability and partly as a challenge to contemporary feminist theory on gender which fails to take description of disability. Disabled people have frequently been standing for as without gender, as asexual creatures, as freaks of nature, hideous, the ‘Other’ to the social norm. In this way it may be taking for granted that for disabled people gender has little bearing. However, the image of disability may be make physically powerful by gender - for women a sense of intensified passivity and helplessness, for men a dishonesties masculinity make by put into effected dependence. Moreover these images have real consequences in terms of
Culture and disability takes at its starting points the assertion that disability is culturally created and stands as a reflection of a society’s meaning of the phenomenon it created. This includes the fact that disability is a cultural reality that is both time and place dependent: what disability means is different from one social group to another and different from one historical period to another. (p. 526)
Disability is a ‘complex issue’ (Alperstein, M., Atkins, S., Bately, K., Coetzee, D., Duncan, M., Ferguson, G., Geiger, M. Hewett, G., et al.., 2009: 239) which affects a large percentage of the world’s population. Due to it being complex, one can say that disability depends on one’s perspective (Alperstein et al., 2009: 239). In this essay, I will draw on Dylan Alcott’s disability and use his story to further explain the four models of disability being The Traditional Model, The Medical Model, The Social Model and The Integrated Model of Disability. Through this, I will reflect on my thoughts and feelings in response to Dylan’s story as well as to draw on this task and my new found knowledge of disability in aiding me to become
Shakespeare, Tom. "Labels and Badges the Politics of Disability Identity." In Disability Rights and Wrongs, 68-82. New York, NY: Routledge, 2006. PDF.
Disability is any continuing condition that limits everyday activities. The Disability Services Act (1993) defines ‘disability’ as a disability which is attributable to an intellectual, psychiatric, cognitive, neurological, sensory or physical impairment or a combination of those impairments. It may be permanent or likely to be permanent, which result in substantially reduce...
1. According to Peter Freund, there are two ways of using the term disability. It can be related to a person’s cultural category as well as their social or bio-medical status. When it comes disability theory, there is a second way in which the term is used, which relates to the inability to engage in a specific activity and is reconstructed by a socio-cultural context into a disability. Like most labels, there are socio-political consequences that come from being labelled, as a person with a disability, such as job discrimination and being eligible for special accommodations, like parking spaces. On the other hand, Freund defines an impairment with a negative connotation and believes that it is restricted mostly by its bio-medical standpoint. Which excludes differences within the bodies that are not classified as impairments but still seen as disabling in certain contexts e.g. being too tall or short. However, Freund does only focus on impairments but physical and mental differences and their connection to socio-cultural arrangements. In other words, the main difference between impairments and disability
The term “disability” is repeatedly used to engender shame and ostracism in society. It can be interpreted as derogatory due to the underlying implications of defectiveness. The word in itself dips into dangerous territory, given the undeniable fact that all members of the human species have boundaries and limitations. Nevertheless, those whom do not fit the confines of normalcy are bound to face oppression on a routine basi...
Understanding Disability: From Theory to Practice. Hampshire: Palgrave & Co. Royal Association for Disability Rights (RADAR). 2010. Accessed from http://www.radar.org.uk/radarwebsite on the 6th November 2010.
Shakespeare, T. (1993) Disabled people's self-organisation: a new social movement?, Disability, Handicap & Society, 8, pp. 249-264 .
I chose to write a review on Withers, A. J. (2012) Disability Politics and Theory, to discuss different model of disability in detail independently and in conjunction with other form of oppressions: gender, race, class, sexuality, ethnicity and etc. A.J. Withers, in Disability Politics and Theory, provides an extensive description and interpretation of disability by comparing past and contemporary ideologies around disability. Withers focuses mainly on six models: the eugenic, the medical, the charity, the social, and the rights models within Western societies to explore not only the assumptions and perceptions of oppressive discourses around disabilities, but also how people with disabilities have been resisting those oppressive norms or ideologies.
A Functionalist perspective: This perspective regards illness as socially deviant behaviour which requires social control. Being defined as ill legitimises exemption from the responsibilities of daily life. The condition, however, is that the patient seeks help and cooperates with the doctor. The ill person has a requirement to attempt to be healed, and the doctor is obligated to help the
For a significant amount of time in the 20th century, it was common to segregate disabled people from the rest of society. American disabled people had been put away in institutions with the reason given that it was for their own good, as well as the good of society. In 1913 Britain even passed the mental incapacity act, this led to around 40,000 men and women being locked away, having been deemed feeble-minded and morally defective. The disabled people living in hospitals, special schools, and care homes are known to have suffered severe emotional and physical abuse.
In the essay “Disability,” Nancy Mairs discusses the lack of media attention for the disabled, writing: “To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of life is to admit that there is something ordinary about disability itself, that it may enter anyone’s life.” An ordinary person has very little exposure to the disabled, and therefore can only draw conclusions from what is seen in the media. As soon as people can picture the disabled as regular people with a debilitating condition, they can begin to respect them and see to their needs without it seeming like an afterthought or a burden. As Mairs wrote: “The fact is that ours is the only minority you can join involuntarily, without warning, at any time.” Looking at the issue from this angle, it is easy to see that many disabled people were ordinary people prior to some sort of accident. Mairs develops this po...
French, S. & Swain, J. 2008. Understanding Disability: A Guide for Health Professionals. Philadelphia: Churchilll Livingstone Elsevier: 4