Disability Theory (Corporealities: Discourses of Disability)

238 Pages·2008·13.52 MB·English

by  Tobin Siebers

DisabiTlhietoyr y
CoRpoRealities:D iscooufDr isseasb ility
DaviTd. M itchealnldS h aroLn.S nyder, editors
Bookasv ailaibntl hees eries:
"Defects": EngendertihneMg o derBno dy
editbeydH eleDne utsacnhd F eliyc iNtussbaum
ReveilnsM adness: InsaniintM yed icinea ndL iteraurte
byA lleTnh iher
PoinotfsC ontacDtisa:b ility, Art, and Culture
editbeydS usaCnr utchfiaenldMd arcEyp stein
A Histooryf D isability
byHe nri-JacSqtuiekse r
DisablVeedt eriannH si story
editbeydD aviAd. G erber
NarratPirvoes theDsisiasbi:ityl antdh eD ependencioesfD i socures
byDa viTd. M itchaelnldS haroLn. S nyder
BacklaAsgha intshteA DA:R einterpDriestaibRniigghl sti ty
editbeydL indHaa miltKorni eger
ThSet aofffO edipuTsr:a nsforDmiiasnbiglit yin A ncietnG reece
byM arthaR osLe.
FictoifAoffl nisct iPohnys:i aclD isabiiltiyn V itocriCaunlut re
byMa rthaS toddaHrodl mes
Foucaualntdt heG overnmeonfDt i saibtiyl
editbeydS hellTerye main
BodiiensC ommotioDnis:ab iitlya ndP erformance
editbeydC arrSiaen daahnld P hipl Aiuslander
Mo�·iBnegy onPdr ozaDcS,M ,a ndth eN ewP sychiatry:
ThBei rtohfP ostpsychiatry
byBr adleLyew is
Disabilityi nT wentiethGe-rCmeaCnnu tltuurery
byCa roPlo ore
Concerftoort hLee ftH anDdi:s abaidnlt ihDteey f aimaBiro/ dy
byMi chaDealv idson
DisabiTlhieotryy
bvTo biSni ebers
DisabiTlhietoyr y
TobSiine bers
TheU niveorfsM iitcyh iPgraens s
AnAnr bor
Copyri©gh btyt heU niverosfiM tiyc hig2a0n0 8
Allr ighrtess erved
Publisihnet dh eU nitSetda toefAs m eribcya
TheU niverosfiM tiyc higPraens s
Manufactuirnte hdeU nitSetda toefAms e rica
§ Printoenda cid-fpraepee r
20112 010 2009 2008 4 3 2
No parotft hipsu blicamtaiyob enr eproduced,
storienda r etriseyvsatleo mrt, r ansmiitnat neydf orm
orb ya nym eanse,l ectromneicch,a niocrao lt,h erwise,
withotuhtwe r ittpeenr missoifto hnpe u blisher.
A CIcPa tarleocgo frodtr h ibso oiska vailfraobmlt eh Ber itLiisbhr ary.
LibraorfCy o ngreCsast aloging-in-PuDbaltiac ation
SiebeTrosb,i n.
DisabitlhietoyIrT yo biSni ebers.
p. em.- (Corporealities)
Inclubdiebsl iograrpehfiecraealnn cdie nsd ex.
ISBN-1937:8 -407-2-03790-8( dot:ah lkp.a per)
ISBN-100-:4 7-027039(-d8o t:ha lkp.a per)
ISBN-13:9 78-0-427-05039-0 (pbalkk.. p:ap er)
ISBN-10:o -742-0035-97( pbk.:alk . pap)e r
1.D isabilsittuyd ie2s.S. o cioloofdg iys abilJi.Pt eyo.p le
witdhi sabilitiesco-nSodciitailo nIsT..i tle.
HVI568.2.S5240 08
305.9'o8-dc22 2007052247
Contents
1.I nrtoduction
2.T endOerr gans, NarcissainsdIm d,e inttPyol itics 34
3·B odyT heory
FromS ocCioanls ttrotu hctNeew i oRena liostfm h Beo dy 53
4·D isbailSittuyed sai ntdh Feu tuorfeI dentPiotiliytc s 70
s. Disabiyl aitsM asquerade 96
6.D iasbiyl EixpterieonncT er ial 120
7·A Sexu alC ultufroeDr iasblePde ople 135
8.S exS,h amaen,Dd i asbliiItdye intty
WitRhef erentcoMe a rkO 'Brien 157
9·D iasbilaintdty h Rei hgtt oH avRei ghts !J6
10C.o nclusion !87
Acknwoledgments 197
Notes 199
WorkCsit ed 213
Inedx 227

ChaptOenre
Introduction
DisabThieloirptyuy r sutehsr ieten erkliocnagg endFaisr.is tmt a,k easn i n­
teervnotnifr omt hpee rescpitvoef d isialbisutytd ieisns omoef t hmea jor
debatoefst hel astthr ityye arisnc ritaincdca ull turtahleo �ryto.yb j eicvte
heriest oa ddretshste w oa udniceeastt hicso nvgeernecp oinotnt: h oen e
handt,od emnostrafotr cer iatlai ncdc ultalut rhoerishtoswd isiailbty
studtireason rsmftshe ibra saissc umpotnisa bouti detnyti,ide olopgoyl,i ­
tisc,m eanisnogc,ii anuljs ctiea,n dth beo dyo;nt hoet hrhe andt,o t heozrei
theem ergifinegl odfd isialbistyt uidseb yp uttiintcgso ries suietnsoc on­
tacwti tshin galt hinkientr hse adjaceonftc ulfitealulsd rtsue dsil,i terary
theorqyu,e etrh eorgye,n desrut di,ea sndc riictarla cseut dieSso.m eo f
thedseeb atiensc lutdhepe o ssiiiltybo fi deoglyco riiqtuient hwea koef i n­
craesilnypg owerfucll aifmorst hree latbieotnw eiedne olaongduy n ocn­
scioutsh ougthhtea; u thiotroyf p syocahnyasliisn c ritiacnadcl u ulrtal
theotrhybe;a ttolveet rh ues euflneosfis d entpiotylc istt;ih iem paocfts o­
cailc onstrunc tthieoioerisnm atetrosf g endesreu,xa l,ia tyndr acteh;ae s­
sumptiounnsed lryibnogd tyh eyo arsa fielodf st udy;t he futoufmr ei­
noristtyui deasn dw hethero nes houbleda blteos tudwyh ato nei st;h e
valoufep erosnaelx perifeornt chee oriszoiicnajglu scteti;h eep imsotle­
ogyo fp assinignq ueert heorthyef; u tuarlgein menot ft hsee x/egndres ys­
tema;n dt hoen gonigs trugtgotl hee iozraev iabmloed leo fh umanr ights
2 Disability Theory
fort hgel owboarl lTdh.ce hapttofe olrlsod we peonntd h ceon etnstep icfic
tot hegsree aartg umeanndto snt hteh oeriwshtosh avbee satdr dessed
thebmu,tt h geoa lrm eaiinnse acchae st ou sdesi abiitalysa l evteoer l e­
vatdee bantoeot,n y lb ya skihnogwt hteh eoorfio eumsro sitn flnuteial
critainccdau lla tltu hrienraksd vadnicaesbi itslyt udbiuets b ayl saos king
howd iasbiliotyrym igthhrtee uqietr ehssea mteh iensrtk ore visteh eir
ownc lmasi.
SeocndIo ,ff earne xtenduesdsi dooinfts hcbeor amde nasb yw hich
dsiabirleiltatytor e peser esntaittiso.Te nhl isfse coangnded maa ya lso be
thouogfh taa nis tn eernvtiiontn hfi ee lodft heyoa,r lthhoa uttg hmeo st
genelreeavllb, e catuhsseet aotfur ser peesntathiabosen e onn eo ft he
mosstgi nfiicainsts iunce rsi atlai nccd ultutrhaelos rieynt cehe mergnece
ofs tcrtuaulriisnm 1t69h0esT .he s trtuuacrilsatnsdt hehiersie rmbrace
launaggea st hdeom inamnodte flor t heorriezrpieensnagtt ioinne,tr eptr­
innge arallsyly mbobleiahcvi ionsr t trlilyci ngutiresmtsTi.wc oc oen­s
quenocfet sh sios- calliulniegdst tuirccnon ecrdnsi aiblsittiyue dFsis.rt ,
becaulsnieg uiicss ttruacltiutsremn tdovs i we lagnuaagset e ha egnatn d
nevtehroe bj ecotfr eprteasteintohnbeo, d wyh,e tahbelroe rd ibslaed,
figruesa sa langeue afegfcrta tthhearan sa c aaulsa geenxtc, luedmi­ng
boidmefnrtmo three prnetsaetipoorncaealsl sm oesntet li.yr Aesna L-Juc
Nancpyu tisti ,ne mblemfasathiicto hnee,i r "sn sou hct hianstg h beo dy.
Theeri s bnood y("2 0D7)i.s abileicthyor eesTc hecnaetlob lyrLs yni d a
MartAilncf o( f200D6o)n,n Haar awaayn,Nd . K athienrHea ylteots ae k
thmei mteipco weorfes m obdimseenirto u.sD lisyablbeoddi eprsvo idae
parutlilacysr torngex maploefe mboidmneta sm imesbiescu aest ehyr e­
sissattnd aridd eaabso tuhtbe o dayn pdu sbha cwkh ecnon rfotndeb yI an­
guaget hawtou ltdr tyo m iesprrestehnertie lrai sSme.cn odt,h oerists
influeedbn yct hleni giusttiucri nn freeqnutelxynt det hteh oeroyfr p eer­
sentaftrioommnim espiorsp erslepya kitnopg o lciartlei rpesteantion.
Thilsa cokffl ebxiilhiatyms a dei dti fifcutloct r itiidqeugoeylw oithni
mimteitcho reyt,op usdhi scsoetu hreyoi rnt hderi eicotonf baor ader
considneo rfta htreie oaaslad omaiinwn h iwcohr adnst dh isen xgiisnt
rleaitonosfv erifiracebilopecr i,at nydt oa cocunftors ocainadl paoll itic
reepsrentbaetoyinondna rriodweo afss o ccioanrlsu tcntiisoAm f.co uosn
thdei bslaebdo deyn ocuargeams oreg enoeurtsh eoorfry e psreeanitton
tharetca hefsr ogmse trueasn edm otiolnasn ggteuao an pdo ilctairle pre­
sentaItatil osonop. e tnhspe os sitbyoil fci lassiidfyeinnatgsai net myb do-
Introduction 3
ierde pretsieonnctaaatle gtohreyr,ie nbesyr titnhge biondtdyoe bates
aboiudte ynp toliiitcts.
Thidr,t hbioso tkh reoiezsd ibsiialtaysa m inotryii detnyot,ni weh ose
particchaurlaacirts set rincctoruitbteo t haed vnacemenotfm inority
studiine sg e·wnheirslaeele .hn i sctaolralisay m attfeorrm eidcianlt er­
vnetidoins,ia lbhiatybs e edne scrmiobreredee cntilndy ia sbilysi ttiuedass
am inoyri idtentthiamttuy s btea ddsreendso atsp ersmonisoaftrlu noer
indivdiedfubeaculatt s t hpeor duocfta d iasblisnogcai nabdlu ielnt­v i
rnomenTtie.rd o fd iscrimainndca ltaiiomdnii bnsigayl aisat p osiivte
idenpteioty,p wliet ha bdiliisitniseoisnst thp eer tineoe fnd csiaibtlyti o
thheu macno nidtioontn h,ve a loufde ia sbiyal siaf tormo fd ievrist,a ynd
ont hpeow er doiafsbi italysa c riatlci ocnecpftor t hinakbionhugut m an
ideintityng en elrH.ao wd oedsi sabriseleimtbolyrde i effrf rorma cgeen,­
desre,x iutyaa,ln cdl aassasm arkoefir d eyn?Wht iicthi ssauledlsiy bs ial­
itsyt iuedtsoo thmeiron ristyt iueds? dHooetwsh el uisnoicfod nia sbiyl it
chaen gtthhee oorfmy i onriitedyn yt?iF temincirscimat,rli ca es tudies,
anqdu etehre ohravyet arnsforcmreidta inccdau ullr tlta heobryy qr urei­
inugst oa ccnotfu otrh eexp erniceeso fd ieffreindntet itIb ieeilvsee.t hat
inecarsletide raabcoyd usita biildietnyat nidit tyds e fineipxneger nices
witlrlna sofrmc riatlai nccdu lttuhreaoylre aytag in.
DsiabliyiI tdentity
Dsiaiblihatybs e eanm edicmaalt tfeorar s l ongh uamsab nen ighsa ve
soughttoe scatphese t igomfda e ha,tds ieaasnedi,j n uyr.T hem edical
model ddeifisnaebasisa l nii nitdivyd udaeelfc lto eddgi nt hpeer osna,d e­
fcett hamtu sbtec uerdo re linmaitietfdh pee rsiotsno a cihveefu lcla ­
pacaisath yum anb eiTnhgse.t uodfdy i sabaisals iytymob lniect rwkio s
ofm oerr ecdeanttU en.l itkhmeee diacpaoplar c,th heem ergfiienlogdf
diasbilsittuysd d ieefines idtniyos atasa b nii nldiidvudaeelfc btu atst he
proudcotfs ociinajlue os,nt teih craetqi eursn otth ceu eor r meilniiaotonf
the depfeercstoinsv ieb gfiucntaic nhta nignte hsse o icaaln bdu ielnvti ­
rnomenDti.bs ialsittyu ddioeensso tter adtsi eaosrde i sab,h iolpiittnoyg
cuero ra votihde imst;t iusedt hseo cmieaaln isns,gy mbols, and stigmas
attatcodh iesdia lbiidtneyt iatnayds hkoswt hey reenlofacrtesedy estmtos
ofe cxlusainoodnp pesrosnia,t ctkaitnhgwe i derseapbdei letfh ahta ving