Towards a Contextual Psychology of Disablism

In recent years, disability studies has been driven by a social model of disability, focusing on the social and economic oppression of disabled people. Although an important counterbalance to a pathologising medical model, the social model risks presenting an impoverishing and disembodied view of disability, one that ignores the psychological nature of oppression and its effects. This innovative work argues that a psychological framework of disability is an essential part of developing a more cohesive disability movement and develops bi-directional conceptual links between culture and disabled subjectivity through the mechanisms of lifelong socialization. It is designed to explore individual psychological experience, whilst retaining a rigorous critique of social forces of oppression; and to avoid the pathologisation of disadvantaged individuals, whilst exploring the psychological processes and impressions of discriminatory society. Drawing on sociology, social anthropology, psychology and psychoanalysis #xE2;#xAC;#x1C; as well as clinical material from his own practice #xE2;#xAC;#x1C; Brian Watermeyer shapes a view of disabled subjectivity which is embodied, internal, and political. Presenting a range of conceptual ideas which describe psychological dynamics and predicaments confronting disabled people in an exclusionary and prejudiced world, this volume is an important new contribution to the literature. It will interest students and researchers of disability studies, including those working within psychology, education, health and social work.