Of course that seems like a patronising ghettoisation of what is essentially
a latter offshoot of Sociology, and shows something of the mindset of any
individual who sees Disability only in such terms. On the other hand that in
itself illustrates why Disability Studies does also belong in Special
Education, and indeed Medicine and Psychology.
Being as my research is essentially fixated in a particular subset of the
genre "Special Education" what I am endeavouring to do is bring disability
studies to bear on the formulation of the questions which any enlightened
practitioner of Education in general ought to be considering as a counter to
the pervasive medical models that are taught in such departments.
Disability Studies at once belongs nowhere and everywhere, it certainly
ought not to belong in it's own Ivory Tower devoid from social activism.
Universities are such repositories of Silo thinking, each faculty has no
idea what the others are on about, and that to me is the antithesis of
education.
I went to a seminar the other day, which was a little bit out of my field,
and I had no idea of who the "names" whose research was being instanced.
In the old days one could be well known across genres, but walk into any
seminar on special education and the chances are that all the "names" and
the literature that I presume would be familiar to the denizens of this list
are probably unknown and disregarded.
A man like Darwin for all his faults would be familiar with the major
contemporary figures, but if you were to ask Dawkins whether he has heard of
Sartor Resartus, he would look at you like it were a species of
Hippopotamus.
Well at least I managed to cite Matthew Arnold in an academic piece some
time ago, and who nowadays considers him in the lineage of cultural studies?
Believe it or not the old questions of high vs low culture do have a
distinct bearing upon the notions of Disability Culture but that is another
story.
Larry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List [mailto:DISABILITY-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of dawnalee8
> Sent: 24 January 2009 08:05
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: How to distinguish between Disability Studies and Special
Education?
>
> Hello Disability Studies peers,
>
> I have an interesting situation going on at my campus. There is no
> Disability Studies program, but there is a movement toward one that I
> am keen to be part of.
>
> There seems to be a roadblock in getting this movement going. An
> influential faculty Dean is insisting Disability Studies "engage with
> Special Education." What I mean is this person believes any
> Disability Studies event or attempts to start a program should become
> a Special Education event or courses in the Special Education
> department.
>
> As it happens I have a meeting with this Dean on Thursday (next week)
> as part of a larger group, and as you can imagine I would like to take
> the opportunity to talk with this person.
>
> I would like to ask for advice how I can offer a brief and concise
> rationale how Disability Studies is not Special Education and
> shouldn't be a Special Education event or courses in the Special
> Education department.
>
> I also would like to ask if anyone gone through a situation where
> they're trying to start a Disability Studies program and have had to
> convince a faculty or department set on Disability Studies belonging
> in a specific faculty or department (i.e., like this Special Education
> situation)? If so, how did you convince the faculty or department
> that Disability Studies is its own interdisciplinary field quite
> distinct from that particular faculty or Department?
>
> Thank you in advance for any suggestions or advice you may have to
> offer. I would be glad to share any replies in a later post.
>
> Cheers,
> Dawna Lee Rumball
>
>
> ===============
> Dawna Lee Rumball, Doctoral Student
> President-Elect, Canadian Disability Studies Association-
> Association Canadienne des Études sur l'Incapacité
> Department of Educational Studies
> Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia
> 2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Web-site: http://www.cdsa-acei.ca/
>
> ________________End of message________________
>
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