Hello!
I am a third year postgrad at the Uni of Newcastle in Australia, and new to
this list. My thesis concerns the awareness and use of power by outreach
staff with clients with acquired brain injury. In my literature review, I
have come to know various writings regarding the social model of disability,
and for the most part, I find it very fascinating, relevant, and refreshing.
However, I am frustrated by the lack of literature that deals specifically
with this model in ABI contexts. I agree with the criticisms that impairment
must be a part of the social model, because specific impairment effects have
implications for the nature of disability experience. I think it is very
important to investigate this with ABI, since often impairment effects of
ABI have the greatest impact in social relations, due to behavioral issues
and cognitive/processing deficits. I am also concerned with applying
self-determination philosophies to ABI for instances when the impairments
compromise the ability for an individual with ABI to function autonomously
and in a truly self-determined manner. I am interested in the tension
between client choice and preferrence, and the duty of care, particulary
when a client choice or preferrence (or spontanous behavior) stands in
opposition to what is socially acceptable. I feel this is made even more
complicated when the individual with ABI has a goal such as 'to make
friends' or meet more people, requiring that they observe particular social
and relationship 'norms' just as we all do, for relationships to be formed
and maintained, and the constraints to individual expression and choices
(such as how a person wants to groom or not groom themselves, or the choice
of language they use) that may occur when support personal attempt social
skill training that will 'attract' friends rather than repel people.
I hope that makes sense to someone. Is anyone else out there looking at this
issues as they specifically relate to ABI and from the social model
perspective? Any lit recommendations? It seems the ABI lit I find comes from
a "treatment" stance, and the social model lit has no mention of ABI, and
often seems focused on physical impairment.
Thanks!
-Suzanne
***************************************
Suzanne Leigh Snead, M.S.
Ph.D. Candidate
School of Social Sciences
GP Building, Third Level
University of Newcastle
Callaghan, NSW 2308
AUSTRALIA
61-2-4961-4650
[log in to unmask]
If we only know how to communicate with violence,
Then it is time to learn a new language.
________________End of message______________________
Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
are now located at:
www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.
|