Disability and Society
| Module title | Disability and Society |
|---|---|
| Module code | SOC3087 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Michael Schillmeier (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
Disability – while commonly thought of as medical in nature – is a social topic that provides surprising insights into a range of sociological topics, from social institutions to social identities, to the ethically contentious (e.g., many issues in the realm of reproduction and end of life) to the highly topical (e.g. are the obese disabled? should schools be inclusive?). In this module you will examine disability in its historical context, and the rise - and social and cultural impacts - of critical disability politics. You will look across cultures at how normality and deviance are understood, produced and controlled, and at what shapes the varieties of disability-related experiences of people across the world. You will examine questions of social inclusion and exclusion, independence and dependence, and the constructedness of both disability and ability. The course considers the changing social context and meanings of disability rather than analysing in detail specific disabilities, although particular disabilities may be focused on in the course of investigating issues such as stigma or independence.
The module is appropriate for students with some background in sociology or anthropology, although there are no pre-requisites. It stands well with other sociology and anthropology modules on health-related topics (SOC/ANTH3076, SOC/ANTH 3088), sport, war and conflict, and complements study in business, law, education, politics, and history (among other subjects).
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of the module is to introduce you to the social study of disability from sociological and anthropological perspectives. Disability & Society will introduce you to social situations of people with disabilities and their relationship to wider society. You will learn to critically contrast sociological and anthropological perspectives with other understandings of disability, and gain insight into how these frame social policy, education, employment, and human rights. The UK is home to a vibrant disability rights community, and you will explore its political and cultural impact. You will investigate through skill-building independent research, writing and presentations how disability is interconnected with issues such as stigma, gender, social exclusion, social movements, globalisation, war and conflict. You will significantly develop your knowledge and understanding of sociology as well as the associated skills and insights regarding cultural diversity and cross-cultural comparison. You will gain insight into social policy and social institutions while honing research and presentation skills
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate your in-depth knowledge about the current state of sociological and anthropological debate on disability in class discussion and course work;
- 2. demonstrate the capability of constructing complex arguments regarding specific issues in disability studies - including state policy; discrimination and social exclusion; human rights; education; reproduction; ethics, politics and care; standardization and 'counting'; lay/professional relations; identity and bodies; sport; violence; cross-cultural and cross-state approaches to disability - based on sociological, anthropological, and related literatures;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. critically evaluate contemporary disability studies related texts in sociology and anthropology;
- 4. display - in written and oral form - a detailed understanding of the disciplines' relation to, and difference from, other approaches and explanations offered toward disability;
- 5. appreciate key issues relevant to the contemporary world, and develop comprehensive critical, comparative and cross-cultural insight;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. demonstrate transferable skills in formulating, researching and addressing focused questions;
- 7. prepare focused and comprehensive written and oral presentations;
- 8. work independently and in collaboration with others; and
- 9. Demonstrate a detailed understanding of how state policy is framed and shapes the lives of a variety of citizens.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- The social model of disability
- Disability across cultures and states
- Disability across the life course
- Culture, identity and disability
- Politics of disability
- Ethics and disability – the politics of deviant bodies
- Disability and Sport
- Social exclusion, stigma and discrimination
- Disability in historical context in Britain
- Disability and Art
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching | 22 | 11 x 2 hours per week comprising of lectures and seminars |
| Guided independent study | 18 | Preparing seminar-presentation individually and as a group |
| Guided independent study | 30 | Reading for the seminars |
| Guided independent study | 30 | Web-based activities |
| Guided independent study | 50 | Reading, researching and writing essay |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation | 20 minutes per group | 1-2,4,6-9 | Written and oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 70 | 2,000 words | 1-9 | Written |
| Presentation | 30 | 10 minutes | 1-9 | Oral and written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-9 | August/September reassessment period |
| Presentation | Presentation (10 minutes) | 1-9 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Indicative reading:
Ingstad, Benedict & Whyte, Susan R. 1995. Disability and Culture. University of California Press.
Shakespeare, Tom. 2006. Disability Rights and Wrongs. Routledge.
Paul, Dianne, 1995. Controlling Human Heredity: 1865 to the Present. New Jersey: Humanities Press.
Safford P. & Safford, E. 1995. A History of Childhood and Disability. NY: Teachers College Press.
Sacks, Oliver W. 2000. Seeing Voices: A Journey into the World of the Deaf. Vintage Press.
Titchkosky, Tanya. 2003. Disability, Self, and Society.Toronto, University of Toronto Press.
Tremain, Shelley (ed.). 2005. Foucault and the Government of Disability. University of Michigan Press.
Terry, Jennifer & Urla, Jaqueline (eds.) 1995. Deviant Bodies.Indianapolis: Indiana UP, 1995.
Albrecht, Gary et al (eds). 2001. Handbook of Disability Studies FIX
Borsay, A. Disability and Social Policy in Britain since 1759: A history of exclusion
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
Web based and electronic resources: numerous web based resources for researching general and specific disability issues, e.g., www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies; www.efds.net (English Federation of Disability Sport); www.dpi.org (disabled peoples’ international); www.ddlg.co.uk (disabled data link group).
An updated list of resources will be provided in the lectures.
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Ethnographic films and relevant feature films; media including blogs (e.g., http://disabilityrants.blogspot.com/ and Ouch! …it’s a disability thing: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/)
Key words search
Disability, society, culture, body, politics
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/03/2012 |
| Last revision date | 28/07/2022 |
