Afternoon All;
well, it just goes to show, if you use the right bait you'll catch some
fish and they don't come much bigger than the social model and
it's strained relationship with the impairment/disability binary.
Mairian asked some good questions and I'm not saying I've got the
answers but here's something for the weekend........
the social model did an adequate job when it transferred
oppression to the built environment but really it's work's done now
and to expect it to go beyond it's original remit is asking too much.
it also suffers from relying on a dichotomy (the
disability/impairment thing and I don't think it matters which term
comes first) which suggests that people live with either an
impairment or a disability, as if they had a choice of oppressor.
for many people currently labelled with a learning difficulty their
impairment may be purely cognitive and the disability they face is
more often attitudinal. this places them nicely in Derrida's and/both
and I'm sure they feel all the better for it.
the case of people with learning difficulties (and I realise it's not an
homogenous group) raises different research questions which
require a different research agenda. too often in the past there's
been a reliance on using cast-off theories, the social model being a
case in point, and this doesn't do the target population any favours.
personally I think it stems back to the dominance of the medical
profession over the nursing profession who inherited the care of this
social grouping almost by default. they weren't used to thinking for
themselves and look where it's got them. nurses that is.
anyway, I've got to pick the kids up soon. all replies welcome, on
or off list. enjoy the weekend folks.
Alex
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