Original Articles

Object problem or subject: A child with a disability as found in reports of professionals

Authors: {'first_name': 'Tanja', 'last_name': 'Vehkakoski'}

Abstract

This study examined the representations of one Finnish child with disabilities as constructed in reports written by professionals. The professional action models which appeared in the discourse of the reports were also explored. The theoretical framework of the study was based on the social constructionist approach. Research data consisted of 145 documents, the analyses of which were based on critical discourse analysis developed by Fairclough (1992). Results indicated that the child with a disability was constructed in the documents in varying ways, either as an object, a problem, or a subject Professional expertise, mechanistic and objectivist practices, and seeing disability as an individual problem were verified as the professional modes of action. By revealing how institutionalized views shape the lives of children with disabilities, this study discusses the prevailing and alternative ways to construct disability.
Keywords: Article has no keywords
DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/15017410309512620
 Accepted on 8 Aug 2002            Submitted on 23 Apr 2002

References

  1. Abberley , P. (1987). . The concept of oppression and the development of a social theory of disability. . Disability, Handicap & Society , 2: : 5.–.  

  2. Abberley , P. (1995). . Disabling ideology in health and welfare ‐ the case of occupational therapy. . Disability & Society , 10: : 221.–.  

  3. Ainscow , M. (1998). . “Would it work in theory?: arguments for practioner research and theorising in the special needs field. ”. In Theorising special education. , Edited by: Clark , C. , Dyson , A. and Millward , A.  : 7.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  4. Allan , J. , Brown , S. and Riddell , S. (1998). . “Permission to speak?: theorising special education inside the classroom. ”. In Theorising special education. , Edited by: Clark , C. , Dyson , A. and Millward , A.  : 21.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  5. Atkinson , P. (1995). . Medical talk and medical work. , [city: London]: : Sage. .  

  6. Atkinson , P. and Coffey , A. (1997). . “Analysing documentary realities. ”. In Qualitative research. Theory, method and practice. , Edited by: Silverman , D.  : 45.–. [city: London]: : Sage. .  

  7. Bailey , J. (1998). . “Medical and psychological models in special needs education. ”. In Theorising special education. , Edited by: Clark , C. , Dyson , A. and Millward , A.  : 44.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  8. Barnes , C. (1992). . Institutional discrimination against disabled people and the campaign for anti‐discrimination legislation. . Critical Social Policy , 12: : 5.–.  

  9. Barnes , C. (1996). . “Theories of disability and the origins of the oppression of disabled people in western society. ”. In Disability and society: emerging issues and insights. , Edited by: Barton , L.  : 43.–. [city: London]: : Longman. .  

  10. Bayliss , P. (1998). . “Models of complexity: theory‐driven intervention practices. ”. In Theorising special education. , Edited by: Clark , C. , Dyson , A. and Millward , A.  : 61.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  11. Bloom , M. , Wood , K. and Chambon , A. (1991). . The six languages of social work. . Social work , 36: : 530.–.  

  12. Bogdan , R. C. and Biklen , S. K. (1992). . Qualitative research for education . , 2nd ed. , [city: Boston]: : Allyn & Bacon. .  

  13. Booth , T. (1998). . “The poverty of special education: theories to the rescue?. ”. In Theorising special education. , Edited by: Clark , C. , Dyson , A. and Millward , A.  : 79.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  14. Burman , E. (1994). . Deconstructing developmental psychology. , [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  15. Cannella , G. S. (1997). . Deconstructing early childhood education. Social justice and revolution. , [city: New York]: : Peter Lang. .  

  16. Chewning , B. and Sleath , B. (1996). . Medication decision‐making and management: a client‐centered model. . Social Science & Medicine , 42: : 389.–.  

  17. Chouliaraki , L. and Fairclough , N. (1999). . Discourse in late modernity: rethinking critical discourse analysis. , [city: Edinburgh]: : Edinburgh University. .  

  18. Conrad , P. and Schneider , J. W. (1992). . Deviance and medicalization: from badness to sickness. , [city: Philadelphia]: : Temple University Press. .  

  19. Coombs , R. H. , Chopra , S. , Schenk , D. R. and Yutan , E. (1993). . Medical slang and its functions. . Social Science and Medicine , 36: : 987.–.  

  20. Danforth , S. and Rhodes , W. C. (1997). . Deconstructing disability. A philosophy for inclusion. . Remedial and Special Education , 18: : 357.–.  

  21. van Dijk , T. A. (1987). . Communicating racism. Ethnic prejudice in thought and talk. , [city: Newbury Park]: : Sage. .  

  22. Fairclough , N. (1992). . Discourse and social change. , [city: Cambridge]: : Polity Press. .  

  23. Fairclough , N. and Wodak , R. (1997). . “Critical discourse analysis. ”. In Discourse as social interaction. Discourse studies: A multidisciplinary introduction. , Edited by: van Dijk , T. A.  volume 2, : 258.–. [city: London]: : Sage. .  

  24. Foucault , M. (1979). . Discipline and Punish. The Birth of the Prison. , Edited by: Sheridan , A.  [city: New York]: : Vintage Books. . (Original work published 1975). 

  25. Gergen , K. J. (1985). . The Social Constructionist Movement in Modern Psychology. . American Psychologist , 40: : 266.–.  

  26. Gillman , M. , Swain , J. and Heyman , B. (1997). . Life history or ‘case’ history: the objectification of people with learning difficulties through the tyranny of professional discourses. . Disability & Society , 12: : 675.–.  

  27. Goode , D. A. (1992). . “Who is Bobby?: Ideology and method in the discovery of a Down Syndrome person's competence. ”. In Interpreting disability. A qualitative reader. , Edited by: Ferguson , P. M. , Ferguson , D. L. and Taylor , S. J.  : 197.–. [city: New York]: : Teachers College, Columbia University. .  

  28. Gunnarsson , B‐L , Linell , P. and Nordberg , B. (1997). . “Introduction. ”. In The construction of professional discourse. , Edited by: Gunnarsson , B‐L. , Linell , P. and Nordberg , B.  : 1.–. [city: London]: : Longman. .  

  29. Hahn , H. (1986). . Public support for rehabilitation programs: the analysis of U.S. disability policy. . Disability, Handicap & Society , 1: : 121.–.  

  30. Hahn , H. (1988). . The politics of physical differences: disability and discrimination. . Journal of Social Issues , 44: : 39.–.  

  31. Halliday , M. A. K. (1985). . An introduction to functional grammar. , [city: London]: : Arnold. .  

  32. Helman , C. G. (1994). . Culture, health and illness . , 3rd ed. , [city: Oxford]: : Butterworth‐Heinemann. .  

  33. Heshusius , L. (1995). . “Holism and special education: there is no substitute for real life purposes and processes. ”. In Disability and democracy. Reconstructing (special) education for postmodernity. , Edited by: Skrtic , T. M.  : 166.–. [city: New York]: : Teachers College, Columbia University. .  

  34. Holbrook , T. L. (1995). . Finding subjugated knowledge: personal document research. . Social Work , 40: : 146.–.  

  35. Hydén , L‐C. (1997). . “The institutional narrative as drama. ”. In The construction of professional discourse. , Edited by: Gunnarsson , B‐L. , Linell , P. and Nordberg , B.  : 245.–. [city: London]: : Longman. .  

  36. Linton , S. (1998). . Disability studies/not disability studies. . Disability & Society , 13: : 525.–.  

  37. Mackelprang , R. W. and Salsgiver , R. O. (1996). . People with disabilities and social work: historical and contemporary issues. . Social Work , 41: : 7.–.  

  38. Miller , G. (1997). . “Contextualizing texts: studying organizational texts. ”. In Context and method in qualitative research. , Edited by: Miller , G. and Dingwall , R.  : 77.–. [city: London]: : Sage. .  

  39. Moon , R. (1994). . “The analysis of fixed expressions in text. ”. In Advances in written text analysis. , Edited by: Coulthard , M.  : 117.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  40. Morss , J. R. (1996). . Growing critical. Alternatives to developmental psychology. , [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  41. Oates , R. K. (1996). . It's time to have another look at the medical model. . Child Abuse & Neglect , 20: : 3.–.  

  42. Oliver , M. (1990). . The Politics of disablement. , [city: London]: : MacMillan. .  

  43. Oliver , M. (1996). . Understanding disability. From theory to practice. , [city: London]: : MacMillan. .  

  44. Oliver , M and Barnes , C. (1998). . Disabled people and social policy: from exclusion to inclusion. , [city: London]: : Longman. .  

  45. Pagano , A. (1994). . “Negatives in written text. ”. In Advances in written text analysis. , Edited by: Coulthard , M.  : 250.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  46. Patton , M. Q. (1990). . Qualitative evaluation and research methods. , [city: Newbury Park]: : Sage. .  

  47. Peters , S. (1999). . “Transforming disability identity through critical literacy and the cultural politics of language. ”. In Disability discourse. , Edited by: Corker , M. and French , S.  : 103.–. [city: Buckingham]: : Open University Press. .  

  48. Pfeiffer , D. (1998). . The ICIDH and the need for its revision. . Disability & Society , 13: : 503.–.  

  49. Potter , J. and Wetherell , M. (1987). . Discourse and social psychology. Beyond attitudes and behaviour. , [city: London]: : Sage. .  

  50. Potter , J. and Wetherell , M. (1994). . “Analysing discourse. ”. In Analyzing qualitative data. , Edited by: Bryman , A. and Burgess , R. G.  : 47.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  51. Priestley , M. (1998). . Constructions and creations: idealism, materialism and disability theory. . Disability & Society , 13: : 75.–.  

  52. Priestley , M. (1999). . “Discourse and identity: disabled children in mainstream high schools. ”. In Disability discourse. , Edited by: Corker , M. and French , S.  : 92.–. [city: Buckingham]: : Open University Press. .  

  53. Prout , A. and James , A. (1997). . “A new paradigm for the sociology of childhood? Provenance, promise and problems. ”. In Constructing and reconstructing childhood: contemporary issues in the sociological study of childliood. , Edited by: James , A. and Prout , A.  : 7.–. [city: London]: : Falmer Press. .  

  54. Reed , J. and Watson , D. (1993). . The impact of the medical model on nursing practice and assessment. . International Journal of Nursing Studies , 31: : 57.–.  

  55. Riikonen , E. and Smith , G. M. (1997). . Re‐imagining therapy. , [city: London]: : Sage. .  

  56. Rioux , M. C. (1997). . Disability: The place of judgement in a world of fact. . Journal of Intellectual Disability Research , 41: : 102.–.  

  57. Sarangi , S. and Slembrouck , S. (1996). . Language, bureaucracy & social control. , [city: London]: : Longman. .  

  58. Scotch , R. K. and Schriner , K. (1997). . Disability as human variation: implications for policy. . Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , 549: : 148.–.  

  59. Skinner , D. , Bailey , D. B. , Correa , V. and Rodriguez , P. (1999). . Narrating self and disability: Latino mothers’ construction of identities vis‐à‐vis their child with special needs. . Exceptional Children , 65: : 481.–.  

  60. Spencer , J. W. (1988). . The role of text in the processing of people in organizations. . Discourse Processes , 11: : 61.–.  

  61. Stambolovic , V. (1996). . Human rights and health wihin the dominant paradigm. . Social Science and Medicine , 42: : 301.–.  

  62. Stangvik , G. (1998). . “Conflicting perspectives on learning disabilities. ”. In Theorising special education. , Edited by: Clark , C. , Dyson , A. and Millward , A.  : 137.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  63. Soder , M. (1989). . Disability as a social construct: the labelling approach revisited. . European Journal of Special Needs Education , 4: : 117.–.  

  64. Tadros , A. (1994). . “Predictive categories in expository text. ”. In Advances in written text analysis. , Edited by: Coulthard , M.  : 69.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  65. Thomas , C. (1999). . Female forms. Experiencing and understanding disability. , [city: Buckingham]: : Open University. .  

  66. Tronvoll , I. M. (1994). . Presenting a child with severe disabilities: parents and professionals as mediators. . Childhood , 2: : 196.–.  

  67. Turner , C. S. V. and Louis , K. S. (1996). . Society's response to differences. . Remedial and Special Education , 17: : 134.–.  

  68. Wendell , S. (1996). . The Rejected body. Feminist philosophical reflections on disability. , [city: New York]: : Routledge. .  

  69. Wetherell , M. and Potter , J. (1992). . Mapping the language of racism. Discourse and the legitimation of exploitation. , [city: London]: : Harvester Wheatsheaf. .  

  70. Winter , E. (1994). . “Clause relations as information structure: two basic text structures in English. ”. In Advances in written text analysis. , Edited by: Coulthard , M.  : 46.–. [city: London]: : Routledge. .  

  71. Wodak , R. (1996). . Disorders of discourse. , [city: London]: : Longman. .  

  72. Wodak , R. (1997). . “Critical discourse analysis and the study of doctor‐patient interaction. ”. In The construction of professional discourse. , Edited by: Gunnarsson , B.‐L. , Linell , P. and Nordberg , B.  : 173.–. [city: London]: : Longman. .  

  73. Woodhead , M. (1997). . “Psychology and the cultural construction of children's needs. ”. In Constructing and reconstructing childhood. Contemporary issues in the sociological study of childhood. , Edited by: James , A. and Prout , A.  : 63.–. [city: London]: : Falmer Press. .  

  74. Zola , I. K. (1978). . “Medicine as an institution of social control. ”. In Basic readings in medical sociology. , Edited by: Tuckett , D. and Kaufert , J. M.  : 254.–. [city: London]: : Tavistock. .