The problem has (as I understand it) never been with medicine and needed medical attention, including palliative care but with the "medicalization of deviance." That is, the idea that ALL the life of any person with a disability is best viewed as a medical problem that, ipso facto, then needs to be "cured" by medical practitioners. In this role the disabled person is a "patient," which means many things but usually means to be in a role of dependency and passivity.
Of course, like any other point of view there always might be exceptions. But I think it is pretty well established that the medicalization of disability (as opposed to medical care for bona fide needs) is generally not only disempowering but can be dehumanizing.
Timothy Lillie, PhD
Dept. of Curricular & Instructional Studies
The University of Akron
Akron OH 44325-4205
330-972-6746 (Voice)
330-972-5209 (Fax)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gail Eva [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 1:43 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: personal tragedy on large
>
>
> Wolfgang writes:
>
> "...does not any
> good for developing a personality, who ist proud, selfconfident and
> strong."
>
> That is undoubtedly the desirable outcome of 'politicizing'
> people. But
> I'm not sure that constructing some supposedly evil thing called the
> "medical model", against which we can rail, is a good mechanism for
> achieving it.
>
> Let me stick my neck out here... What about people for whom disability
> IS a personal tragedy? What about someone with a spinal cord
> compression
> resulting from rapidly advancing, incurable cancer? Palliative care
> doctors (belonging to the evil medical system) are vital,
> valued sources
> of support and hope.
>
> Gail.
>
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