Forgone? Not at all. All discurses can be analysed and a research about
disabilities made by a non disabled person could always be critically
analysis in turn.
Axel. Focussing on disability for a momnet, What changes? The person? It
seems to me that what changes is his/her strategy, not the person self.
He/she may be imanigiing that people treat them differently. This may be
true or not. But that eventually says a lot a bout their own strategy not
about the change of the body in itself and not about the personal identity.
Focussing on sex. Yes a person could change his/her appereance. i have no
doubt that the person may be more confortable with her/his new
identity.However, would that mean that the person could have changed things
in his/her memory of experiences too? Doubt it. Againg that says a lot a
bout the person's strategy, but not about the self.
I guess self comes with a birth circumstance which introduces us in a
particular episteme we will carry with us as snails that carry their mobile
homes. We may , for very personal reasons, manipulate our appearenaces as an
strategy to relate to others (for many reasons). we may change place,
country, an social categorizations (race/sex as you say), but the only
truth (is there such a thing?) is that memories are not software you could
deinstall to install a new one. you may use an upgraded memory but your
harddisk- brain- will be storing your memories until the last second of your
life. No matter how many countries you have lived in or how many operations
you went through or how many colours you have painted your mobile home. If
you have been in a concentration camp, you have those memories in your
brain. If you have been black in Brasil and you move to London, you will
always be a brazilian, not Tony Blair. If you have been black in Illinois
and you move to China, believe me, you are not chinise. Memories matter.
Best, Andy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alex Lubet" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: who should do the research?
> Actually, not exactly. Regarding sex, a person can change physical sex.
> I suppose that's contested, but I think that contestation is unreasonable.
>
> And the change of what you call attitude is a good deal more than that in
> the examples I gave. Certainly, I was referring to categories that are
> socially constructed, but also legally constructed with major
> consequences. Jewish in Nazi Germany and American Indian in the US are
> statuses enshrined in the political systems. That's certainly different
> from a change of impairment status, but not a change of disability status.
> Although the book I'm working on (about disability issues in my field,
> music) isn't autobiographical, the impetus was the realization that my own
> disability status ranged from total crip to perfect specimen depending on
> the context of the moment.
>
> With regard to who does the research, I find myself thinking about Athol
> Fugard and others who are so respected for their work on apartheid despite
> not having been its black victims. Should their contributions have been
> foregone?
>
>
>
>
>
> A Velarde wrote:
>> It seems that what you two are refering in not to a material escape (of
>> race, etc) but an escape to 'categorisaction' or a socially contracted
>> 'attitude'. It doesn't ony happen with south american indians ( where i
>> lived there for half of my life)but also with say anyone in other parts
>> of the globe (for example an eastender in China or Latin america). The
>> person's manner change (i.e the way they speak and wave) because social
>> constructed norms change, are different or quite simply because they are
>> not understood (lost in translation). But this is quite different to lose
>> an identity. I am sure if you have been tortured or seen your children
>> killed because of your race, you just cna't move contry in your planert
>> and off you go you are a different person.
>> Best, Andy
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alex Lubet" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 2:08 AM
>> Subject: Re: who should do the research?
>>
>>
>>> Actually, people change sex/gender all the time. They can also change
>>> race, although that happens by moving from one location to another,
>>> where race is differently constructed. For example, a Jew who managed
>>> to escape Nazi Germany became a racially different person. Another
>>> example is the different way "Indians" are defined in the US and Bolivia
>>> (where I taught briefly). Even one great-great-great grandparent
>>> qualifies one for tribal registry as an American Indian in the US. Most
>>> Bolivians would qualify if they lived in the US (were Bolivian "tribes"
>>> registered in the US), but only people thought to be "full-blooded" are
>>> regarded as Indians in that country.
>>>
>>> One of the difficulties of "nothing about us without us" is defining
>>> "us." The women's movement has certainly experienced a great deal of
>>> fragmentation on such lines as ethnicity/race, age, and sexual
>>> orientation. About twenty years ago in the US (and doubtless
>>> elsewhere), the term "people of color" became prominent. Lately, it's
>>> being critiqued as reductive and therefore inaccurate. On this thread
>>> we're seeing a distinction between a larger disability community and
>>> smaller communities grounded in particular constructions of impairment.
>>>
>>>
>>> Matt Wappett wrote:
>>>> Just my ten cents before heading out of the office this evening: As an
>>>> academic researcher with a learning disability, I'm honestly chagrined
>>>> with the insular approach to research taken by many in this recent
>>>> discussion. Although I understand Larry's frustration, I also think
>>>> that we need to acknowledge that disability is a complex phenomenon
>>>> that lends itself to many perspectives. Although disability studies is
>>>> built upon the same theoretical foundations as women's studies and
>>>> race/cultural studies, it's important to remember that gender, race,
>>>> and culture are more concrete cultural structures than disability. I
>>>> know that I'm opening myself up to all sorts of critiques by saying
>>>> this...but I can't become, black, Asian, or even a woman; but I can
>>>> become a person with a disability...or I can acquire another disability
>>>> beyond the one I already have. We all can...the experience of being
>>>> human is the experience of becoming or fighting against becoming
>>>> disabled. Thus it seems to me that the phenomenon of disability is an
>>>> area that should be more open and accepting of a diversity of
>>>> perspectives since disability is one of the few shared areas of human
>>>> experience that cuts across age, race, gender, class, etc. Now, I'm
>>>> not arguing for the medical model here, although I think that the
>>>> medical model, despite it's patriarchal hegemonic view of ability, has
>>>> added much to what we currently understand about disability...BUT it
>>>> needs to be counterbalanced and, if possible, superseded by a more
>>>> rational view of human diversity.
>>>>
>>>> Matt
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Larry Arnold wrote:
>>>>> Bollox me old pal me old beauty you justify it thus, but if it were
>>>>> you who were offended I think
>>>>> you would not be so forgiving,
>>>>>
>>>>> So authentic voices always take second place because the middle class
>>>>> intelligentsia are always more
>>>>> likely to be taken seriously because they have a social contract we do
>>>>> not.
>>>>>
>>>>> That is giving in to Nanny knows best.
>>>>>
>>>>> It really stinks and you are all blind to it in your own security.
>>>>>
>>>>> How far have you travelled? And in which direction
>>>>>
>>>>> A bloody big circle I think, where you are all now the pigs who walk
>>>>> on two legs.
>>>>>
>>>>> Larry
>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
>>>>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>>>>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>>>> Sent: 24 June 2008 22:15
>>>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>>> Subject: Re: who should do the research?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I strongly agree with Allan on this point.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Surely the over all point of all writing, be it articles, books,
>>>>>> movies etc is to bring about an understanding of what is going on.
>>>>>> Parents, and anyone else should be able to communicate from their
>>>>>> prospective. We should value that contribution to understanding.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It has however to be made clear from what perspective or relationship
>>>>>> the author is coming from. Keith
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My new videos can been seen at
>>>>>>
>>>>>> <http://www.putfile.com/yourcamden/media>
>>>>>> <http://www.youtube.com/user/yourcamden>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> <http://www.myspace.com/kaamden>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> <http://www.veoh.com/users/yourcamden>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ________________End of message________________
>>>>>
>>>>> This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for
>>>>> Disability Studies at the University of Leeds
>>>>> (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies).
>>>>> Enquiries about list administration should be sent to
>>>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>>>
>>>>> Archives and tools are located at:
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>>>>> You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web
>>>>> page.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Alex Lubet, Ph. D.
>>> Morse Alumni/Graduate & Professional Distinguished Teaching Professor
>>> Music/Jewish Studies/American Studies
>>> University of Minnesota
>>> Head Division of Composition and Theory, School of Music
>>> Director of Undergraduate Studies, Center for Jewish Studies
>>> Chair, Senate Disability Issues Committee
>>> Associate Editor, Review of Disability Studies
>>> Affiliate Professor, Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawai'i
>>> President, Hillel at the University of Minnesota
>>>
>>> ________________End of message________________
>>>
>>> This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for
>>> Disability Studies at the University of Leeds
>>> (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies).
>>> Enquiries about list administration should be sent to
>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>
>>> Archives and tools are located at:
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>>> page.
>>>
>>
>> ________________End of message________________
>>
>> This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for
>> Disability Studies at the University of Leeds
>> (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies).
>> Enquiries about list administration should be sent to
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
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>
>
> --
> Alex Lubet, Ph. D.
> Morse Alumni/Graduate & Professional Distinguished Teaching Professor
> Music/Jewish Studies/American Studies
> University of Minnesota
> Head Division of Composition and Theory, School of Music
> Director of Undergraduate Studies, Center for Jewish Studies
> Chair, Senate Disability Issues Committee
> Associate Editor, Review of Disability Studies
> Affiliate Professor, Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawai'i
> President, Hillel at the University of Minnesota
>
> ________________End of message________________
>
> This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for
> Disability Studies at the University of Leeds
> (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies).
> Enquiries about list administration should be sent to
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Archives and tools are located at:
> www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
> You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web
> page.
>
________________End of message________________
This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies).
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