Rethinking Disability: Principles for Professional and Social Change (Social Work Series) [Paperback]

Elizabeth DePoy (Author), Stephen French Gilson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0534549292 | ISBN-13: 978-0534549299 | Publication Date: August 19, 2003 | Edition: 1

This book provides a theoretical lens through which to view Disability. Rather than taking a medical-diagnostic stance, which has been the traditional perspective, the authors explain disability as category in which membership is based on of judgments about explanations for what people do, experience and how they appear. In Part I, the authors discuss various aspects of the history and current trends, which influence how disability is defined and addressed. In Part II, Explanatory Legitimacy' (EL) theory is explained in detail and applied to an analysis of disability. In Part III, the EL theory is applied to rethinking disability now and in the future.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This work balances theory and relevance very well, and would certainly aid students in understanding a number of key issues including: the idea of personal stance, the values imbedded in professional diagnosis and treatment, and the impact of treatment on people's lived experience, and best practices in the identification of problems and treatments to achieve social justice."

"The manuscript does a really nice job of outlining a multi-level theory of disability. The content examines the person's experience within the content of a physical, social, and political environment."

"This text is a step in bringing disability studies into "adulthood." Previous works have raised awareness of disability and societal problems facing persons with disabilities from a 20th Century perspective. This text addresses contemporary and historical issues in a new and important way. It helps readers look at the past with an historical lens and the present in a way that challenges easy assumptions and assertions. By tackling hard issues, it helps legitimize disability as an attribute of diversity, while looking deeply into social structures and values that have led to current disability constructs."

About the Author

Dr. DePoy teaches courses in research, evaluation, grant writing and disability studies. Her scholarship embraces health and disability, issues of aging, research methodology, and evaluation practice. She is a member of more than a dozen professional associations, societies and task forces at state, national and international levels and serves as Commissioner on the Commission on Disability and Persons with Disabilities of the Council on Social Work Education. Along with this book, Dr. DePoy is co-author of another Brooks/Cole text, EVALUATION PRACTICE: THINKING AND ACTION PRINCIPLES FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE, 2003.

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Brooks Cole; 1 edition (August 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534549292
• ISBN-13: 978-0534549299
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #435,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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