Informace o publikaci
Social Contruction of Pain in Disability Studies
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| Rok publikování | 2025 |
| Druh | Další prezentace na konferencích |
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| Popis | Constructionist theories of disability maintain that disability is not a biological dysfunction but a social construct. According to this view, individuals are disabled not by impaired organs or dysfunctional bodily systems, but by societal structures that impose barriers and fail to accommodate their needs. Some theorists further contend that the concept of impairment lacks objective grounding and arises from societal prejudices against human variation. They argue that if social attitudes were to change, impairment would cease to be relevant, and disability would effectively disappear. This perspective, however, has faced significant criticism, including from scholars within disability studies. One of the most compelling objections centers on the phenomenon of pain. Certain impairments and disabilities are inherently painful, and no amount of social reform can eliminate this aspect of the experience. Acknowledging this, some disability scholars advocate for a moderate constructivist position that recognizes both the socially constructed dimensions of disability and the disabling effects of impairment and dysfunction. Other scholars, by contrast, minimize the role of pain, suggesting that pain itself may be socially constructed. In this presentation, I will pose a straightforward yet foundational question: Does pain matter? If the answer is yes, then strong forms of social constructionism about disability are untenable. Conversely, if pain does not matter, or if it can be eliminated through the adoption of a particular mindset, then this position entails serious social and political implications, potentially undermining the justification for disability activism. |
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