The emergence of an us and them discourse in disability theory

Per Solvang

doi:10.1080/15017410009510749

Research

The emergence of an us and them discourse in disability theory

Author:

Per Solvang

About Per

Per Solvang is associate professor at Department of Sociology, University of Bergen. He has published from studies on disabled peoples lifte histories, the social construction of dyslexia and research methodology.

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Abstract

The changing social position of people with disabilities can be studied through the changing importance of three discourses: (1) normality/deviance, (2) equality/inequality, and (3) us/them. The normality/deviance discourse represents questions about rehabilitation and integration. The equality/inequality discourse represents the struggle for economic welfare and equal rights. Finally, the us/them discourse represents a valuing of disability as a basis for identity formation and as a question of ethnicity. The situation for deaf people will serve as an empirical case for outlining the theory of the three discourses. The discussion points out that the us/the outsiders discourse is underdeveloped in disability theory, and possible strategies for development are outlined.

How to Cite: Solvang, P., 2009. The emergence of an us and them discourse in disability theory. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 2(1), pp.3–20. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/15017410009510749

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Published on 08 Jul 2009

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References

Abberley , Paul . (1999). . . Book review. . Disability and Society , 14((5)): : 693.–.
Adams , Rachel . (1996). . . “An American tail: Freaks, gender and the incorporation of history in Katherine Dunn's Geek Love. ”. In Freakery. Cultural spectacles of the extraordinary body. , Edited by: Thomson , Rosemarie Garland . [city: New York]: : New York University Press. .
Bauman , Zygmunt . (1991). . . Modernity and Ambivalence. , [city: Cambridge]: : Polity Press. .
Beck , Ulrich . (1986). . . Risikogesellschaft: Auf dem Weg in eine andere Moderne. , [Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity][city: Frankfurt am Main]: : Suhrkamp. .
Breivik , Jan Kåre . (2000). . . “Døve: Funksjons‐hemmede eller multikulturell identitet? [The Deaf: Disabled or mulitcultural identity?]. ”. In Usynlighets‐kappen. Funksjonshemmedes levekår [Living conditions for the disabled]. , Edited by: Romøren , Tor Inge . [city: Oslo]: : Akribe. .
Conrad , Peter and Schneider , Joseph W. . (1992). . Devinance and medicalisation. From badness to sickness. , [city: Philadelphia]: : Temple University Press. .
Corker , Marian . (1999). . . Differences, conflations and foundations: the limits to “accurate” theoretical representation of disabled people's experience. . Disability and Society , 14((5)): : 627.–.
Davis , Lennard J. . (1995). . Enforcing normalcy. Disability, deafness and the body. , [city: New York]: : Verso. .
Davis , Lennard J. . (1997). , ed. . The disability studies reader. , [city: London]: : Routledge. .
Derrida , Jacques . (1976). . . Of grammatology. , [city: Baltimore]: : Johns Hopkins University Press. .
Dunn , Katherine . (1990). . . Geek love. , [city: London]: : Abacus. .
Eriksen , Thomas Hylland . (1993). . . Ethnisity and nationalism. Anthropological perspectives. , [city: London]: : Pluto Press. .
Foucault , Michel . (1972). . . The archaeology of knowledge and the discourse on language. , [city: New York]: : Pantheon Books. .
Foucault , Michel . (1984). . . The history of sexuality. , Vol. 1, [city: Harmondsworth]: : Penguin. .
Froestad , Jan . (1995). . . Faglige diskurser, intersektorielle premissstrømmer og varia‐sjoner i ojfentlig politikk. Døveundervisning og handikapomsorg i Skandinavia på 1800‐tallet [Professional discourses, inter sectorial premisises and differences in public policy. Educating the deaf and caring for the disabled in Scandinavia in the 17^thcentrury]. , Department of Administration and Organization Theory, University of Bergen. . Dissertation.
Froestad , Jan and Solvang , Per . (1997). . . “Annerledeshet mellom normalitet og toleranse. Det normale og det like som implisitt utopisk verdinorm i forestillingen om idealsamfunnet. En forskningsskisse om diskursive formasjoner i velferdsstaten som kulturbaerende system. [Difference between normality and tolerance. Normality and equality as an Utopian value norm in the ideas of the ideal society. A position paper for research on discourses in the welfare state as a cultural system]. ”. [city: Bergen]: : Centre for Social Reseach. . Unpublished position paper.
Froestad , Jan and Ravneberg , Bodil . (2000). . . “Educational policy, the unitary school and the construction of deviance. ”. In Modern Norway: State, experts and society, Edited by: Froestad , Jan , Gran , Thorvald , Jensen , Thor Øyvind and Rueschemeyer , Dietrich . In press.
Gregory , Susan and Hartley , Gillan . (2000). , eds. . Constructing deafness. , [city: London]: : Open University Press. .
Goffman , Erving . (1968). . . Stigma. Notes on the management of spoiled identity. , [city: Harmondsworth]: : Penguin. .
Goodin , Robert E. . (1988). . “Reasons for welfare. Economic, sociological, and political ‐ but ultimately moral. ”. In Responsibility, rights and welfare. The theory of the welfare state. , Edited by: Moon , J. Donald . [city: Boulder]: : Westview Press. .
Gønnlie , Sissel . (1995). . . Når noen ikke hører. Om ulike grupper av døve og tunghørte og deres betingelser for god identitetsutvikling og samfunnsintegrering [When someone does not hear. On different groups among the deaf and hard of hearing and their conditions for a positive development of identity and social integration]. , [city: Bergen]: : Døves Forlag. .
Gutmann , Amy . (1987). . . Democratic education. , [city: Princeton]: : Princeton University Press. .
Hebdige , Dick . (1979). . . Subculture. The meaning of style. , [city: London]: : Routledge. .
Howell , Michael and Ford , Peter . (1980). . . The true history of The Elephant Man. , [city: Harmondsworth]: : Penguin. .
Ingstad , Beatrice and Whyte , Susan Reynolds . (1995). . . “Disability and culture: An overview. ”. In Disability and culture. , Edited by: Ingstad , Beatrice and Whyte , Susan Reynolds . [city: Berkeley]: : University of California Press. .
Kulick , Don . (1996). . . Queer Theory: var är det och vad är det bra for? [Queer Theory: what is it and what is it good for]. . Lambda Nordica , 2((3–4)): : 5.–.
Lane , Harlan . (1996). . . A journey into the deaf‐world. , Edited by: Hoffmeister , Robert and Behan , Benjamin . [city: San Diego]: : DawnSignPress. .
Linton , Simi . (1998). . . Claiming disablity. Knowledge and identity. , [city: New York]: : New York University Press. .
Mitchell , David . (1997). . . “Modernist freaks and postmodernist geeks. ”. In The disability studies reader. , Edited by: Davis , Lennard J. [city: London]: : Routledge. .
Mitchell , David T. and Snyder , Sharon L. . (1997). . “Introduction: Disablity studies and the double bind of representation. ”. In The body and physical difference. Discources on disablity. , Edited by: Mitchell , David T. and Snyder , Sharon L. [city: Ann Arbor]: : The University of Michigan University Press. .
Nirje , Bengt . (1980). . . “The normalisation principle. ”. In Normalisation, social integration and community services. , Edited by: Flynn , Robert and Nitsch , Kathleen . [city: Baltimore]: : University Park Press. .
Oliver , Mike . (1990). . . The politics of disablement. , [city: Basingstoke]: : MacMillan. .
Padden , Carol and Humphries , Tom . (1988). . . Deaf in America. Voices from a culture. , [city: Cambridge], [state: Mass.]: : Harvard University Press. .
Paterson , Kevin and Hughes , Bill . (1999). . . Disability studies and phenomenology: the carnal politics of everyday life. . Disability and Society , 14((5)): : 597.–.
Peckford , Robert . (1995). . Foster care of Deaf children by Deaf adults. . Paper given to the World Federation of the Deaf Congress. . July6–151995, , [city: Vienna].
Plant , Raymond . (1988). . . “Needs, agency and welfare rights. ”. In Responsibility, rights and welfare. The theory of the welfare state. , Edited by: Moon , J. Donald . [city: Boulder]: : Westview Press. .
Ravneberg , Bodil . (2000). . . “Grensebarna i skolen ‐utskillingen av ≪sinkene≫ fra normal‐ og åndssvakekategoriene tidlig på 1900‐tallet, [The Borderline Children In the School System ‐ The Separation of Slow Learners From the Categories Normal and Feebleminded in the Early 20^th Century]. ”. In Funksjonshemming, politikk og samfunn [Disabilities, Politics and Society]. , Edited by: Froestad , Jan , Solvang , Per and Söder , Marten . [city: Oslo]: : Gyldendal Akademisk. .
Shakespeare , Tom . (1998). . . The disability reader. Social science perspectives. , [city: London]: : Cassell. .
Sierck , Udo . (1992). . . Arbeit ist die beste Medizin. Zur Geschichte der Rehabilitationspolitik [Work is the best medicine. On the history of rehabilitation policy]. , [city: Hamburg]: : Konkret Litteratur Verlag. .
Sirnes , Thorvald . (1999). . . “Alt som er fast, fordamper” ["All that is solid, melts into air"]?. ”. In Normalitet og identitetsmakt i Norge [Normality and power of identity in Norway]. , Edited by: Meyer , Siri and Sirnes , Thorvald . [city: Oslo]: : Ad Notam. .
Stein , Arlene and Plummer , Ken . (1996). . . “I can't even think straight”: “Queer” theory and the missing sexual revolution in sociology. ”. In Queer theory/sociology. , Edited by: Seidman , Steven . [city: Oxford]: : Blackwell. . (1996).
Stone , Deborah . (1984). . . The disabled state. , [city: Philadelphia]: : Temple University Press. .
Tøssebro , Jan . (1996). . . “Changing ideologies and patterns of services. ”. In Intellectual disabilities in the Nordic welfare states. Policies and every day life. , Edited by: Tøssebro , Jan , Gustavsson , Anders and Dyrendahl , Guri . [city: Kristiansand]: : Høyskoleforlaget. .
Tøssebro , Jan . (1997). . . Book review. . Acta Sociologica , 40: : 409.–.
Whyte , Susan Reynolds . (1995). . . “Disability between discourse and experience. ”. In Disability and culture. , Edited by: Ingstad , Beatrice and Whyte , Susan Reynolds . [city: Berkeley]: : University of California Press. .
Williams , Lindsey and Nind , Melanie . (1999). . . Insiders or outsiders: normalisation and women with learning difficulties. . Disability and society , 14((5)): : 659.–.
Winefield , Richard . (1987). . . Never the twain shall meet. Bell, Galludet and the communication debate. , [city: Washington DC]: : Gallaudet University Press. .
Wolfensberger , Wolf . (1983). . . Social role valorization: A proposed new term for the principle of normalisation. . Mental Retardation , 21((6)): : 234.–.
Yoshida , Karen . (1993). . . Reshaping of self: A pendular reconstruction of self and identity among adults with traumatic spinal cord injury. . Sociology of Health and Illness , 15((2)): : 217.–.

[CIT0001] Abberley , Paul . (1999). . . Book review. . Disability and Society , 14((5)): : 693.–.

[CIT0002] Adams , Rachel . (1996). . . “An American tail: Freaks, gender and the incorporation of history in Katherine Dunn's Geek Love. ”. In Freakery. Cultural spectacles of the extraordinary body. , Edited by: Thomson , Rosemarie Garland . [city: New York]: : New York University Press. .

[CIT0003] Bauman , Zygmunt . (1991). . . Modernity and Ambivalence. , [city: Cambridge]: : Polity Press. .

[CIT0004] Beck , Ulrich . (1986). . . Risikogesellschaft: Auf dem Weg in eine andere Moderne. , [Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity][city: Frankfurt am Main]: : Suhrkamp. .

[CIT0005] Breivik , Jan Kåre . (2000). . . “Døve: Funksjons‐hemmede eller multikulturell identitet? [The Deaf: Disabled or mulitcultural identity?]. ”. In Usynlighets‐kappen. Funksjonshemmedes levekår [Living conditions for the disabled]. , Edited by: Romøren , Tor Inge . [city: Oslo]: : Akribe. .

[CIT0006] Conrad , Peter and Schneider , Joseph W. . (1992). . Devinance and medicalisation. From badness to sickness. , [city: Philadelphia]: : Temple University Press. .

[CIT0007] Corker , Marian . (1999). . . Differences, conflations and foundations: the limits to “accurate” theoretical representation of disabled people's experience. . Disability and Society , 14((5)): : 627.–.

[CIT0008] Davis , Lennard J. . (1995). . Enforcing normalcy. Disability, deafness and the body. , [city: New York]: : Verso. .

[CIT0009] Davis , Lennard J. . (1997). , ed. . The disability studies reader. , [city: London]: : Routledge. .

[CIT0010] Derrida , Jacques . (1976). . . Of grammatology. , [city: Baltimore]: : Johns Hopkins University Press. .

[CIT0011] Dunn , Katherine . (1990). . . Geek love. , [city: London]: : Abacus. .

[CIT0012] Eriksen , Thomas Hylland . (1993). . . Ethnisity and nationalism. Anthropological perspectives. , [city: London]: : Pluto Press. .

[CIT0013] Foucault , Michel . (1972). . . The archaeology of knowledge and the discourse on language. , [city: New York]: : Pantheon Books. .

[CIT0014] Foucault , Michel . (1984). . . The history of sexuality. , Vol. 1, [city: Harmondsworth]: : Penguin. .

[CIT0015] Froestad , Jan . (1995). . . Faglige diskurser, intersektorielle premissstrømmer og varia‐sjoner i ojfentlig politikk. Døveundervisning og handikapomsorg i Skandinavia på 1800‐tallet [Professional discourses, inter sectorial premisises and differences in public policy. Educating the deaf and caring for the disabled in Scandinavia in the 17^thcentrury]. , Department of Administration and Organization Theory, University of Bergen. . Dissertation.

[CIT0016] Froestad , Jan and Solvang , Per . (1997). . . “Annerledeshet mellom normalitet og toleranse. Det normale og det like som implisitt utopisk verdinorm i forestillingen om idealsamfunnet. En forskningsskisse om diskursive formasjoner i velferdsstaten som kulturbaerende system. [Difference between normality and tolerance. Normality and equality as an Utopian value norm in the ideas of the ideal society. A position paper for research on discourses in the welfare state as a cultural system]. ”. [city: Bergen]: : Centre for Social Reseach. . Unpublished position paper.

[CIT0017] Froestad , Jan and Ravneberg , Bodil . (2000). . . “Educational policy, the unitary school and the construction of deviance. ”. In Modern Norway: State, experts and society, Edited by: Froestad , Jan , Gran , Thorvald , Jensen , Thor Øyvind and Rueschemeyer , Dietrich . In press.

[CIT0018] Gregory , Susan and Hartley , Gillan . (2000). , eds. . Constructing deafness. , [city: London]: : Open University Press. .

[CIT0019] Goffman , Erving . (1968). . . Stigma. Notes on the management of spoiled identity. , [city: Harmondsworth]: : Penguin. .

[CIT0020] Goodin , Robert E. . (1988). . “Reasons for welfare. Economic, sociological, and political ‐ but ultimately moral. ”. In Responsibility, rights and welfare. The theory of the welfare state. , Edited by: Moon , J. Donald . [city: Boulder]: : Westview Press. .

[CIT0021] Gønnlie , Sissel . (1995). . . Når noen ikke hører. Om ulike grupper av døve og tunghørte og deres betingelser for god identitetsutvikling og samfunnsintegrering [When someone does not hear. On different groups among the deaf and hard of hearing and their conditions for a positive development of identity and social integration]. , [city: Bergen]: : Døves Forlag. .

[CIT0022] Gutmann , Amy . (1987). . . Democratic education. , [city: Princeton]: : Princeton University Press. .

[CIT0023] Hebdige , Dick . (1979). . . Subculture. The meaning of style. , [city: London]: : Routledge. .

[CIT0024] Howell , Michael and Ford , Peter . (1980). . . The true history of The Elephant Man. , [city: Harmondsworth]: : Penguin. .

[CIT0025] Ingstad , Beatrice and Whyte , Susan Reynolds . (1995). . . “Disability and culture: An overview. ”. In Disability and culture. , Edited by: Ingstad , Beatrice and Whyte , Susan Reynolds . [city: Berkeley]: : University of California Press. .

[CIT0026] Kulick , Don . (1996). . . Queer Theory: var är det och vad är det bra for? [Queer Theory: what is it and what is it good for]. . Lambda Nordica , 2((3–4)): : 5.–.

[CIT0027] Lane , Harlan . (1996). . . A journey into the deaf‐world. , Edited by: Hoffmeister , Robert and Behan , Benjamin . [city: San Diego]: : DawnSignPress. .

[CIT0028] Linton , Simi . (1998). . . Claiming disablity. Knowledge and identity. , [city: New York]: : New York University Press. .

[CIT0029] Mitchell , David . (1997). . . “Modernist freaks and postmodernist geeks. ”. In The disability studies reader. , Edited by: Davis , Lennard J. [city: London]: : Routledge. .

[CIT0030] Mitchell , David T. and Snyder , Sharon L. . (1997). . “Introduction: Disablity studies and the double bind of representation. ”. In The body and physical difference. Discources on disablity. , Edited by: Mitchell , David T. and Snyder , Sharon L. [city: Ann Arbor]: : The University of Michigan University Press. .

[CIT0031] Nirje , Bengt . (1980). . . “The normalisation principle. ”. In Normalisation, social integration and community services. , Edited by: Flynn , Robert and Nitsch , Kathleen . [city: Baltimore]: : University Park Press. .

[CIT0032] Oliver , Mike . (1990). . . The politics of disablement. , [city: Basingstoke]: : MacMillan. .

[CIT0033] Padden , Carol and Humphries , Tom . (1988). . . Deaf in America. Voices from a culture. , [city: Cambridge], [state: Mass.]: : Harvard University Press. .

[CIT0034] Paterson , Kevin and Hughes , Bill . (1999). . . Disability studies and phenomenology: the carnal politics of everyday life. . Disability and Society , 14((5)): : 597.–.

[CIT0035] Peckford , Robert . (1995). . Foster care of Deaf children by Deaf adults. . Paper given to the World Federation of the Deaf Congress. . July6–151995, , [city: Vienna].

[CIT0036] Plant , Raymond . (1988). . . “Needs, agency and welfare rights. ”. In Responsibility, rights and welfare. The theory of the welfare state. , Edited by: Moon , J. Donald . [city: Boulder]: : Westview Press. .

[CIT0037] Ravneberg , Bodil . (2000). . . “Grensebarna i skolen ‐utskillingen av ≪sinkene≫ fra normal‐ og åndssvakekategoriene tidlig på 1900‐tallet, [The Borderline Children In the School System ‐ The Separation of Slow Learners From the Categories Normal and Feebleminded in the Early 20^th Century]. ”. In Funksjonshemming, politikk og samfunn [Disabilities, Politics and Society]. , Edited by: Froestad , Jan , Solvang , Per and Söder , Marten . [city: Oslo]: : Gyldendal Akademisk. .

[CIT0038] Shakespeare , Tom . (1998). . . The disability reader. Social science perspectives. , [city: London]: : Cassell. .

[CIT0039] Sierck , Udo . (1992). . . Arbeit ist die beste Medizin. Zur Geschichte der Rehabilitationspolitik [Work is the best medicine. On the history of rehabilitation policy]. , [city: Hamburg]: : Konkret Litteratur Verlag. .

[CIT0040] Sirnes , Thorvald . (1999). . . “Alt som er fast, fordamper” ["All that is solid, melts into air"]?. ”. In Normalitet og identitetsmakt i Norge [Normality and power of identity in Norway]. , Edited by: Meyer , Siri and Sirnes , Thorvald . [city: Oslo]: : Ad Notam. .

[CIT0041] Stein , Arlene and Plummer , Ken . (1996). . . “I can't even think straight”: “Queer” theory and the missing sexual revolution in sociology. ”. In Queer theory/sociology. , Edited by: Seidman , Steven . [city: Oxford]: : Blackwell. . (1996).

[CIT0042] Stone , Deborah . (1984). . . The disabled state. , [city: Philadelphia]: : Temple University Press. .

[CIT0043] Tøssebro , Jan . (1996). . . “Changing ideologies and patterns of services. ”. In Intellectual disabilities in the Nordic welfare states. Policies and every day life. , Edited by: Tøssebro , Jan , Gustavsson , Anders and Dyrendahl , Guri . [city: Kristiansand]: : Høyskoleforlaget. .

[CIT0044] Tøssebro , Jan . (1997). . . Book review. . Acta Sociologica , 40: : 409.–.

[CIT0045] Whyte , Susan Reynolds . (1995). . . “Disability between discourse and experience. ”. In Disability and culture. , Edited by: Ingstad , Beatrice and Whyte , Susan Reynolds . [city: Berkeley]: : University of California Press. .

[CIT0046] Williams , Lindsey and Nind , Melanie . (1999). . . Insiders or outsiders: normalisation and women with learning difficulties. . Disability and society , 14((5)): : 659.–.

[CIT0047] Winefield , Richard . (1987). . . Never the twain shall meet. Bell, Galludet and the communication debate. , [city: Washington DC]: : Gallaudet University Press. .

[CIT0048] Wolfensberger , Wolf . (1983). . . Social role valorization: A proposed new term for the principle of normalisation. . Mental Retardation , 21((6)): : 234.–.

[CIT0049] Yoshida , Karen . (1993). . . Reshaping of self: A pendular reconstruction of self and identity among adults with traumatic spinal cord injury. . Sociology of Health and Illness , 15((2)): : 217.–.

Reading: The emergence of an us and them discourse in disability theory

Research

The emergence of an us and them discourse in disability theory

Author:

Per Solvang

About Per

X close

Abstract

References