Studying personal experiences of disability ‐ What happened to verstehen when einfühlung disappeared?

Anders Gustavsson

doi:10.1080/15017410109510774

Research

Studying personal experiences of disability ‐ What happened to verstehen when einfühlung disappeared?

Author:

Anders Gustavsson

Department of Education, Stockholm University, Sweden, SE

About Anders

Anders Gustavsson, Ph.D., Professor at the Department of Education, Stockholm University, Sweden

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Abstract

For some time, disability researchers have shown a growing interest in personal experiences of disability. To some extent this interest can be understood as a response to the growing support for an emancipatory approach in disability research and the awareness that people with disabilities often have been deprived of their opportunities to speak for themselves. A striking characteristic of the studies of personal experiences is a lack of analysis and methodological discussions. It is argued that this, at least to some extent can be understood as a strategy of the researchers not to fall back into reproducing oppressive, outsiders’ perspectives. Furthermore, the absence of analysis seems to be the result of a 19th century paradigm of understanding based on the idea that the best way of understanding, for example, people with disabilities is through experiential closeness and cultural identification. However, according to current interpretative paradigms understanding demands a dialectics between experience‐near and experience‐distant descriptions. It is also argued that a true emancipatory approach in disability research demands the transcendence of personal experiences through in‐depth analyses of the historical and socio‐cultural conditions that influence the personal experiences of individuals with disabilities.

How to Cite: Gustavsson, A., (2009). Studying personal experiences of disability ‐ What happened to verstehen when einfühlung disappeared?. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. 3(2), pp.29–40. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/15017410109510774

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Published on 08 Jul 2009

Peer Reviewed

CC BY 4.0

References

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Booth , T. and Fielden , S. (1992). . Second opinions: Students’ views of Swallow Street Centre. , Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield. . Unpublished report.
Booth , T. , Simons , K. and Booth , K. (1990). . Outward bound: Relocation and Community Care for people with Learning Difficulties. , [city: Buckingham]: : Open University Press. .
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Cattermole , M. , Jalioda , A. and Markova , I. (1987). . Leaving Home: The Experience of People with a Mental Handicap. , Department of Psychology, University of Stirling. .
Edgerton , R. B. (1967). . The cloak of competence. , [city: Berkeley]: : University of California Press. .
Edgerton , R.B. (1984). . The Participant‐Observer Approach to Research in Mental Retardation. . American Journal of Mental Deficiency , 88((5)): : 498.–.
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Flynn , M. (1989). . Independent Living for Adults with Mental Handicap. , [city: Lodon]: : Cassel. .
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Hannerz , U. (1992). . Cultural Complexity. Studies in the social organization of meaning. , [city: New York]: : Columbia University Press. .
Hughes , E. (1961). . Student Culture and Perspectives. , [city: Lawrence]: : University of Kansas Law Press. .
Lowe , K , de Paiva , S. and Humphreys , S (1986). . . Long term Evaluations of Services for people with a Mental Handicap in Cardiff: Clients’ Views. , Mental Handicap in Wales ‐Applied Research Unit. .
Malinowski , B. (1989). . A Diary in the Strict Sense of the Term. , [city: Stanford]: : Stanford University Press. .
More , M. , Beazley , S. and Maelzer , J. (1998). . Researching Disability Issues. , [city: Buckingham]: : Open University Press. .
Oliver , M. (1996). . Understanding disability. From Theory to Practice. The politics of disablement. Critical Texts in Social Work and the Welfare State. , [city: London]: : The Macmillan Press Ltd. .
Pike , K. (1954/1967). . Language in Relation to a Unified Theory of the Structure of Human Behavior Part 1. Summer Institute of Linguistics. . , (2nd. rev. , [city: The Hague]: : Mouton. .
Potts , M. and Fido , R. (1990). . They Take My Character. , [city: Plymouth]: : Northcote House. .
Richards , S. (1984). . Community Care for the Mentally handicapped: Consumer perspectives. , University of Birmingham. .
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Swain , J and French , S. (2000). . The Affirmation Model. . Disability & Society , 15((4)): : 569.–.

[CIT0001] Bogdan , R.B. and Taylor , S. (1982). . Inside out. Two first‐person accounts of what it means to be labelled “Mentally Retarded”. , [city: Toronto]: : University of Toronto Press. .

[CIT0002] Booth , T. (1996). . “Sounds of still voices: Issues in the use of narrative methods with people who have learning difficulties. Published in. ”. In Disability & Society: Emerging issues and Insights. , Edited by: Barton , L. : 237.–. [city: Harlow]: : Addison Wesley Longman Ltd. .

[CIT0003] Booth , T. and Fielden , S. (1992). . Second opinions: Students’ views of Swallow Street Centre. , Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield. . Unpublished report.

[CIT0004] Booth , T. , Simons , K. and Booth , K. (1990). . Outward bound: Relocation and Community Care for people with Learning Difficulties. , [city: Buckingham]: : Open University Press. .

[CIT0005] Case , C. (1927). . A crisis in Anthropological Research. . Sociology and Social Research , 12((1)): : 26.–.

[CIT0006] Cattermole , M. , Jalioda , A. and Markova , I. (1987). . Leaving Home: The Experience of People with a Mental Handicap. , Department of Psychology, University of Stirling. .

[CIT0007] Edgerton , R. B. (1967). . The cloak of competence. , [city: Berkeley]: : University of California Press. .

[CIT0008] Edgerton , R.B. (1984). . The Participant‐Observer Approach to Research in Mental Retardation. . American Journal of Mental Deficiency , 88((5)): : 498.–.

[CIT0009] Edgerton , R. B. (1986). . “A Case of De‐labelling: Some Practical and Theoretical Implications. ”. In Culture and Retardation. Life Histories of Mildly Mentally Retarded Persons in American Society. , Edited by: Langness , L.L. and Levine , H. G. : 101.–. [city: Dortrecht]: : D. Reider Publishing Company. .

[CIT0010] Edgerton , R. and Gaston , M.A. (1991). . I've seen it all!. , [city: Baltimore]: : Paul H. Brookes. .

[CIT0011] Flynn , M. (1989). . Independent Living for Adults with Mental Handicap. , [city: Lodon]: : Cassel. .

[CIT0012] Geertz , C. (1973). . Interpretation of Cultures. , [city: New York]: : Basic Books Inc. .

[CIT0013] Geertz , C. (1993). . Local knowledge. , [city: London]: : Fontana Press. .

[CIT0014] Goodenough , W. H. (1981). . Culture, language and Society. , [city: Menlo Park]: : The Bejamin Cummings Publishing Company, Inc. .

[CIT0015] Gustavsson , A. (1998). . Inifrån utanförskapet (An insider's perspective on being an outsider). , [city: Stockholm]: : Johansson & Skyttmo förlag. .

[CIT0016] Hannerz , U. (1992). . Cultural Complexity. Studies in the social organization of meaning. , [city: New York]: : Columbia University Press. .

[CIT0017] Hughes , E. (1961). . Student Culture and Perspectives. , [city: Lawrence]: : University of Kansas Law Press. .

[CIT0018] Lowe , K , de Paiva , S. and Humphreys , S (1986). . . Long term Evaluations of Services for people with a Mental Handicap in Cardiff: Clients’ Views. , Mental Handicap in Wales ‐Applied Research Unit. .

[CIT0019] Malinowski , B. (1989). . A Diary in the Strict Sense of the Term. , [city: Stanford]: : Stanford University Press. .

[CIT0020] More , M. , Beazley , S. and Maelzer , J. (1998). . Researching Disability Issues. , [city: Buckingham]: : Open University Press. .

[CIT0021] Oliver , M. (1996). . Understanding disability. From Theory to Practice. The politics of disablement. Critical Texts in Social Work and the Welfare State. , [city: London]: : The Macmillan Press Ltd. .

[CIT0022] Pike , K. (1954/1967). . Language in Relation to a Unified Theory of the Structure of Human Behavior Part 1. Summer Institute of Linguistics. . , (2nd. rev. , [city: The Hague]: : Mouton. .

[CIT0023] Potts , M. and Fido , R. (1990). . They Take My Character. , [city: Plymouth]: : Northcote House. .

[CIT0024] Richards , S. (1984). . Community Care for the Mentally handicapped: Consumer perspectives. , University of Birmingham. .

[CIT0025] Sugg , B. (1987). . Community Care: the consumer's point of view’. . Community Care , 645((22))January 1987: : 6.

[CIT0026] Swain , J and French , S. (2000). . The Affirmation Model. . Disability & Society , 15((4)): : 569.–.

Reading: Studying personal experiences of disability ‐ What happened to verstehen when einfühlung dis...

Research

Studying personal experiences of disability ‐ What happened to verstehen when einfühlung disappeared?

Author:

Anders Gustavsson

Department of Education, Stockholm University, Sweden, SE

About Anders

X close

Abstract

References