Ah now I see where you are coming from :)
Here is my Pine tree parable, copyright of course.
"I am like a tall pine growing in a forest of broad leaved trees, that
although I am very different from them, I am at least there equal in
stature, whereas were I a younger tree or stunted in my growth, I would be
overwhelmed by the other trees and maybe unable to ever reach the forest
canopy because they block out my light.
Well, consider a tree growing alone in the middle of an open plain. Whatever
height it is there are no other trees to compare it with. It is the tallest
tree around, however young it is, it is the oldest tree around, and however
long it lasts, the longest lived. however diseased or mishapen, it is the
most perfect tree around, because there are none to better it.
But put that tree in a forest of its peers and it might be short, mishapen
and blighted once we have sight of them. Its timber may of necessity thus be
less valued.
Well every human being is that tree on its own in the plain. It is its own
standard of perfection, whatever happens to it in life.
The forest is society, and only by comparison with society can an individual
find him/her self valued or devalued, declared imperfect, or diseased.
Disability is not something which can be measured, it is not a quantity,
like height or weight, it can only be determined by reference to something
which is not disability.
It is not something we are born with, it is something that is given to us by
our peers, as race or creed is given, as nationality is given. as a name is
given."
Larry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of John B. Kelly
> Sent: 22 October 2002 01:52
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Seeking resources on "ability"
>
>
> Hello Han and everyone:
>
> I should clarify that what I mean by "ability" is a social
> category that selects out certain things people can do and
> invests them with meaning that justifies the organization of
> society and level of individual status. The number of abilities
> that could be important are infinite (I can walk, I can balance
> seven cans of vegetables on my nose, I can wipe my own bottom, I
> can drink two quarts of water before going to bed and not have
> to wake up and pee, etc.)
>
> The moral component is ideological, not "real" or objective. So
> just as women have been discriminated against based on so-called
> abilities (height, shoulder strength, ability to stay in a
> straight career track, etc.), disabled people have also. I'm
> wondering whether any scholars have taken up this issue in
> gender studies, or race studies (people of color have been
> historically slandered as lacking abilities of intelligence,
> determination, courage, etc.), or in more established
> disciplines, such as in philosophy or political science.
>
> Thank you
>
> John
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Han
> Tacoma
> Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 8:27 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Seeking resources on "ability"
>
> On Mon, 21 Oct 2002 14:04:13 -0400, John B. Kelly
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> [...snip...]
>
> >I'm especially interested in
> >how it has a strong moral component (ability is what gets you
> to succeed,
> >and if you succeed you must have ability, which means you must
> be better
> >than other people that don't succeed).
>
> While I don't agree with your relationship of _morality_ to
> _ability_
> or that _ability_ is the road to _success_, I think that
> discussion
> belongs in a different thread.
>
> Although they may seem unrelated, they all refer to the concept
> of "ability" -- perhaps differently -- so I hope the following
> URLs
> satisfy your needs.
>
> The National Ability Center
> http://www.nac1985.org/
> http://www.nationalabilitycenter.org/
>
> #Ayn Rand: Temporarily Abled
> http://www.aynrandchat.com/essays-tempable.html
>
> Adjusting The Course Pt II: High Expectations And Standards
> http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/DeptEd/royal/document/adcrse2/sect5.htm
> l
>
> Music Education and Student Self-Concept
> http://music.arts.usf.edu/rpme/rpmereyn.htm
>
> The Impact of Motivational Factors on Exam Anxiety
> http://www.tivoli.com/services/certification/wp/examanxiety.pdf
>
> The Hartford's Break Away Program: What is Team Ability?
> http://breakaway.thehartford.com/team.html
>
> The Caldeson Picture Concept Indexing models
> http://www.caldeson.com/moodtop.html
>
> Origin of the name "Red Queen" Ltd.
> http://www.redqueen.demon.co.uk/about%20us.html
>
> Implicit Phenomenal Knowledge and the Lewis-Nemirow Ability
> Hypothesis
> http://ua1vm.ua.edu/~talter/Implicit.htm
>
> The uses and limits of self-construction
> http://www.dyad.org/d08G04.htm
>
> Measuring Ability and Managing Learning
> http://www.assessmenttech.com/pages/research/galileotechmanual_f
> iles/measuri
> ngabilityandmanaginglearning.html
> (you may have to cut and paste the previous lines together)
>
>
> Cheers!
> --
> Han Tacoma
>
> ~ Artificial Intelligence is better than none! ~
>
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