Wendell Flashcards
What is this article about?
Social Construction of Disability
Does Wendell argue disability is biological?
No,
because the biological and the social are interactive in creating disability
Called = “the social construction of disability” “
What factors cause disability?
much disability is created by
the Violence of invasions, wars, civil wars, and terrorism
availability and distribution of basic resources such as water, food,
clothing, and shelter (Disease comes when these aren’t met)
Why do social factors that cause disability always effect some groups in society?
Because of racism, sexism, heterosexism, ageism, and advantages of class background, wealth, and education
How does Medical care and practices effect the prevention and creation of disability?
Lack of good prenatal care and dangerous or madequate obstetrical practices
cause disabilities in babies and in the women giving birth to them.
vaccines can prevent disability
Explain the “pace of life” factor in disability?
I suspect that increases in the
pace of life are important social causes of damage to people’s bodies
There are physically damaging consequences of efforts to go faster, but also because fewer people can meet
expectations of ‘normal’ performance:
(ex. professors adding an extra term of teach, while staying on top of research)
Explain the definite expectations about HOW tasks will be performed? (ex. mothers with disabilities)
lIlany women with disabilities are discouraged from haVing
children because other people can only imagine caring for children in ways
that are impossible for women with their disabilities
Explain how physical structure and social
organization of society contribute to disability?
No places to rest in grocery store
lack of accessible ramps for wheelchairs (and for ppl who struggle with stairs)
Some of the same architectural flaws cause problems for pregnant women, parents with strollers, and young children (it is designed for young adult males)
Explain how public and private worlds are split?
Women and children often pushed into private. So have disabled, sick and old (no socially acceptable way of expressing it)
Public world is strength, good body, and performance / production
What are two important things to consider when thinking about help and disabilities?
- Help that non-disabled ppl receive are often taken for granted.
- Much of the help ppl with disabilities need is because their bodies were damaged due to social conditions
Thus, disability is socially constructed through …?
the failure or unwillingness to create ability among people who do not fit the physical and mental profile of ‘paradigm’ citizens
What contributes to disabled poverty?
the helief that social assistance benefits
should be less than can be earned in the work force, in order to provide an
incentive for people to find and keep employment
What does the lack of realistic cultural representations of experiences of disability do?
contributes to the ‘Otherness’ of people with disabilities
Also increases non-disabled people’s fear of disability by suppressing knowledge of how people live with disabilities. (ex. stereotypes of them being morally depraved etc.)
Explain the balance of approaches she want’s for disability:
- Understand physical limitations ppl experience
- Also understanding it is constructed by society and culture
Important to remember three things when deconstructing disability:
- More people then expected will benefit from an improvement in accessibility
- Rates of disability increase with age (will benefit larger portions of population)
- Public presence of ppl with disabilities will benefit non disabled ppl (deconstructing stereotypes and understanding wider conditions)
