Disabilities
- LAST REVIEWED: 14 April 2011
- LAST MODIFIED: 14 April 2011
- DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195389678-0134
- LAST REVIEWED: 14 April 2011
- LAST MODIFIED: 14 April 2011
- DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195389678-0134
Introduction
This entry identifies resources relevant to the study of disability that are pertinent to the field of social work. Representative of the multidisciplinary, continuously evolving and wide-ranging literature encompassing the study of disability, the selected references map the intellectual themes present in this field. Major contributions and approaches used in the study of disability, associated issues, and emergent themes relevant to the field of social work are emphasized. The ways disability is studied, treated, and understood reflects a continuum of approaches defined by two major schools of thought that influence policy, programming, and professional practice: individual pathology and social pathology. These two conceptions of disability at some points intersect both philosophically and chronologically; however, the distinct features of each are widely asserted within specific disciplinary contexts. The selected readings, to a significant degree, represent these diverse approaches toward the study, treatment, and understanding of disability as either: 1) an individual pathology (biomedical and functional treatment) approached through technology, prevention, and rehabilitation, or 2) a social pathology (environmental and human rights approaches) addressed through the increased control of services and supports and human rights reforms. The cross-disciplinary nature of the study of disability is reflected through this diverse compilation of readings highlighting developing theoretical bases, social policy, emergent issues, and practical resources for scholars, students, and professional practitioners.
General Overviews
An excellent selection of references is available that provide comprehensive overviews of aspects of the study of disability. Barnes, et al. 2002 provides the most complete and straightforward overview of the development of disability studies, and this text is appropriate as an introduction for graduate or undergraduate courses. Albrecht, et al. 2001 offers a more comprehensive overview of debate in this field for students seeking a more in-depth analysis of the issues, and it is also appropriate for graduate students. For any students new to the study of disability, Rioux 2003 provides an insightful and clearly framed comparison of theoretical approaches used in the field. For those interested in theoretical content, Davis 2010 provides an excellent overview of the application of disability studies in other disciplines. Brown and Percy 2007 is the best text available for use in graduate and undergraduate courses focused on intellectual disability. Students seeking to challenge understandings of disability should read Linton 1998, which was the first work to provide a comprehensive investigation into disability studies as a discipline. Shakespeare 1998 links the study of disability with social science. Researchers and students conducting disability research should consult the Disability, Handicap and Society special issue on this topic.
Albrecht, Gary L., Katherine D. Seelman, and Michael Bury, eds. 2001. Handbook of disability studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
An edited collection of international perspectives that outlines emergent critical issues and debates in the field of disability studies. Highlights major areas of interest including policy, activism, and theoretical discussion.
Barnes, Colin, Len Barton, and Michael J. Oliver, eds. 2002. Disability studies today. Cambridge, UK: Polity.
A thorough introduction to the foundations of the expanding field of disability studies outlining key areas of concern and debate, with an emphasis on theoretical developments.
Brown, Ivan, and Marie Percy, eds. 2007. A comprehensive guide to intellectual & developmental disabilities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Addresses core disability issues and interventions across the life-span, serving as a practical resource for undergraduate students, introductory courses, and service providers.
Davis, Lennard J., ed. 2010. The disability studies reader. 3d ed. New York: Routledge.
This third edition provides as encompassing collection of introductory works in the field of disability studies. Up-to-date chapters offer insight into areas of cultural studies, literary criticism, sociology, biology, visual arts, and postcolonial studies.
Disability, Handicap and Society. 1992. Special issue: Researching disability. Disability, Handicap & Society 7.2.
A special issue devoted to an exploration of issues and concerns in the realm of disability research. Articles cover concerns over representation, inclusion of disability issues, and voices and directions for future exploration and action.
Linton, Simi. 1998. Claiming disability: Knowledge and identity. Cultural Front Series. New York: New York Univ. Press.
Defines disability through the societal meaning ascribed to it. Providing a groundbreaking challenge to traditional approaches to disability, the author represents a disability studies perspective demanding inclusion and people with disabilities as the representative voices in this realm.
Rioux, Marcia H. 2003. On second thought: Constructing knowledge, law, disability and inequality. In The human rights of persons with intellectual disabilities: Different but equal. Edited by Stanley S. Herr, Harold Hongju Koh, and Larry O. Gostin, 287–318. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press.
An excellent resource that provides a clear introduction to the various approaches applied in the study of disability including individual and social pathologies.
Shakespeare, Tom, ed. 1998. The disability reader: Social science perspectives. London: Continuum.
Shakespeare outlines the role of disability and equality from a social science perspective reviewing the roots of disability discrimination, key issues, and future directions for the study of disability.
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Article
- Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work
- Abortion
- Adolescent Depression
- Adolescent Pregnancy
- Adolescents
- Adoption
- Adoption Home Study Assessments
- Adult Protective Services in the United States
- African Americans
- Aging
- Aging out of foster care
- Aging, Physical Health and
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Problems
- Alcohol and Drug Problems, Prevention of Adolescent and Yo...
- Alcohol Problems: Practice Interventions
- Alcohol Use Disorder
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
- Anti-Oppressive Practice
- Asian Americans
- Asian-American Youth
- Assessment
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Baccalaureate Social Workers
- Behavioral Health
- Behavioral Social Work Practice
- Bereavement Practice
- Bisexuality
- Brief Therapies in Social Work: Task-Centered Model and So...
- Bullying and Social Work Intervention
- Canadian Social Welfare, History of
- Case Management in Mental Health in the United States
- Central American Migration to the United States
- Child Maltreatment Prevention
- Child Neglect and Emotional Maltreatment
- Child Poverty
- Child Sexual Abuse
- Child Welfare
- Child Welfare and Child Protection in Europe, History of
- Child Welfare and Parents with Intellectual and/or Develop...
- Child Welfare Effectiveness
- Child Welfare, Immigration and
- Child Welfare Practice with LGBTQ Youth and Families
- Children
- Children of Incarcerated Parents
- Christianity and Social Work
- Chronic Illness
- Clinical Social Work Practice with Adult Lesbians
- Clinical Social Work Practice with Males
- Cognitive Behavior Therapies with Diverse and Stressed Pop...
- Cognitive Processing Therapy
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Community
- Community Development
- Community Policing
- Community-Based Participatory Research
- Community-Needs Assessment
- Comparative Social Work
- Computational Social Welfare: Applying Data Science in Soc...
- Conflict Resolution
- Council on Social Work Education
- Counseling Female Offenders
- Criminal Justice
- Crisis Interventions
- Cultural Competence and Ethnic Sensitive Practice
- Culture, Ethnicity, Substance Use, and Substance Use Disor...
- Dementia Care
- Dementia Care, Ethical Aspects of
- Depression and Cancer
- Development and Infancy (Birth to Age Three)
- Differential Response in Child Welfare
- Digital Storytelling for Social Work Interventions
- Direct Practice in Social Work
- Disabilities
- Disability and Disability Culture
- Disasters
- Divorce
- Domestic Violence Among Immigrants
- Early Pregnancy and Parenthood Among Child Welfare–Involve...
- Eating Disorders
- Ecological Framework
- Economic Evaluation
- Elder Mistreatment
- End-of-Life Decisions
- Epigenetics for Social Workers
- Ethical Issues in Social Work and Technology
- Ethics and Values in Social Work
- Ethnicity
- European Institutions and Social Work
- European Union, Justice and Home Affairs in the
- Evidence-based Social Work Practice
- Evidence-based Social Work Practice: Finding Evidence
- Evidence-based Social Work Practice: Issues, Controversies...
- Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs
- Families
- Families with Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual Parents
- Family Caregiving
- Family Group Conferencing
- Family Policy
- Family Services
- Family Therapy
- Family Violence
- Fathering Among Families Served By Child Welfare
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Field Education
- Financial Literacy and Social Work
- Financing Health-Care Delivery in the United States
- Forensic Social Work
- Foster Care
- Foster care and siblings
- Gay Men
- Gender, Violence, and Trauma in Immigration Detention in t...
- Generalist Practice and Advanced Generalist Practice
- Grounded Theory
- Group Work
- Group Work across Populations, Challenges, and Settings
- Group Work, Research, Best Practices, and Evidence-based
- Harm Reduction
- Health Care Reform
- Health Disparities
- Health Social Work
- History of Social Work and Social Welfare, 1900–1950
- History of Social Work and Social Welfare, 1950-1980
- History of Social Work and Social Welfare, pre-1900
- History of Social Work from 1980-2014
- History of Social Work in China
- History of Social Work in Northern Ireland
- History of Social Work in the Republic of Ireland
- History of Social Work in the United Kingdom
- HIV/AIDS
- HIV/AIDS and Children
- HIV/AIDS Prevention with Adolescents
- Homelessness
- Homelessness: Ending Homelessness as a Grand Challenge
- Homelessness Outside the United States
- Housing
- Human Needs
- Human Trafficking, Victims of
- Immigrant Integration in the United States
- Immigrant Policy in the United States
- Immigrants and Refugees
- Immigrants and Refugees: Evidence-based Social Work Practi...
- Immigration and Health Disparities
- Immigration and Intimate Partner Violence
- Immigration and Poverty
- Immigration and Spirituality
- Immigration and Substance Use
- Immigration and Trauma
- Impact of Emerging Technology in Social Work Practice
- Impaired Professionals
- Implementation Science and Practice
- Indigenous Peoples
- Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Supported Employmen...
- In-home Child Welfare Services
- Intergenerational Transmission of Maltreatment
- International Human Trafficking
- International Social Welfare
- International Social Work
- International Social Work and Education
- International Social Work and Social Welfare in Southern A...
- Internet and Video Game Addiction
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy
- Intervention with Traumatized Populations
- Interviewing
- Intimate-Partner Violence
- Juvenile Justice
- Kinship Care
- Korean Americans
- Latinos and Latinas
- Law, Social Work and the
- LGBTQ Populations and Social Work
- Life Span
- Mainland European Social Work, History of
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Management and Administration in Social Work
- Maternal Mental Health
- Measurement, Scales, and Indices
- Medical Illness
- Men: Health and Mental Health Care
- Mental Health
- Mental Health Diagnosis and the Addictive Substance Disord...
- Mental Health Needs of Older People, Assessing the
- Mental Health Services from 1990 to 2023
- Mental Illness: Children
- Mental Illness: Elders
- Meta-analysis
- Microskills
- Middle East and North Africa, International Social Work an...
- Military Social Work
- Mixed Methods Research
- Moral distress and injury in social work
- Motivational Interviewing
- Multiculturalism
- Native Americans
- Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders
- Neighborhood Social Cohesion
- Neuroscience and Social Work
- Nicotine Dependence
- Occupational Social Work
- Organizational Development and Change
- Pain Management
- Palliative Care
- Palliative Care: Evolution and Scope of Practice
- Pandemics and Social Work
- Parent Training
- Participatory Community Based Research
- Personalization
- Person-in-Environment
- Philosophy of Science and Social Work
- Physical Disabilities
- Podcasts and Social Work
- Police Social Work
- Political Social Work in the United States
- Positive Youth Development
- Postmodernism and Social Work
- Postsecondary Education Experiences and Attainment Among Y...
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Poverty
- Practice Interventions and Aging
- Practice Interventions with Adolescents
- Practice Research
- Primary Prevention in the 21st Century
- Productive Engagement of Older Adults
- Profession, Social Work
- Program Development and Grant Writing
- Promoting Smart Decarceration as a Grand Challenge
- Psychiatric Rehabilitation
- Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamic Theory
- Psychoeducation
- Psychometrics
- Psychopathology and Social Work Practice
- Psychopharmacology and Social Work Practice
- Psychosocial Framework
- Psychosocial Intervention with Women
- Psychotherapy and Social Work
- Qualitative Research
- Race and Racism
- Randomized Controlled Trials in Social Work
- Readmission Policies in Europe
- Redefining Police Interactions with People Experiencing Me...
- Refugee Children, Unaccompanied Immigrant and
- Rehabilitation
- Religiously Affiliated Agencies
- Reproductive Health
- Research
- Research Ethics
- Restorative Justice
- Risk Assessment in Child Protection Services
- Risk Management in Social Work
- Rural Social Work in China
- Rural Social Work Practice
- School Social Work
- School Violence
- School-Based Delinquency Prevention
- Services and Programs for Pregnant and Parenting Youth
- Severe and Persistent Mental Illness: Adults
- Sexual and Gender Minority Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylu...
- Sexual Assault
- Single-System Research Designs
- Social and Economic Impact of US Immigration Policies on U...
- Social Development
- Social Insurance and Social Justice
- Social Intervention Research
- Social Justice and Social Work
- Social Movements
- Social Planning
- Social Policy
- Social Policy in Denmark
- Social Security in the United States (OASDHI)
- Social Work and Islam
- Social Work and Social Welfare in East, West, and Central ...
- Social Work and Social Welfare in Europe
- Social Work Education and Research
- Social Work Leadership
- Social Work Luminaries: Luminaries Contributing to the Cla...
- Social Work Luminaries: Luminaries contributing to the fou...
- Social Work Luminaries: Luminaries Who Contributed to Soci...
- Social Work Practice, Rare and Orphan Diseases and
- Social Work Regulation
- Social Work Research Methods
- Social Work Theory
- Social Work with Interpreters
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Strategic Planning
- Strengths Perspective
- Strengths-Based Models in Social Work
- Suicide
- Supplemental Security Income
- Survey Research
- Sustainability: Creating Social Responses to a Changing En...
- Syrian Refugees in Turkey
- Systematic Review Methods
- Task-Centered Practice
- Technology Adoption in Social Work Education
- Technology for Social Work Interventions
- Technology, Human Relationships, and Human Interaction
- Technology in Social Work
- Terminal Illness
- Terrorism
- The Impact of Systemic Racism on Latinxs’ Experiences with...
- Transdisciplinary Science
- Translational Science and Social Work
- Transnational Perspectives in Social Work
- Transtheoretical Model of Change
- Trauma
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Triangulation
- Tribal child welfare practice in the United States
- Unions
- United States, History of Social Welfare in the
- Universal Basic Income
- Veteran Services
- Vicarious Trauma and Resilience in Social Work Practice wi...
- Vicarious Trauma Redefining PTSD
- Victim Services
- Violence
- Virtual Reality and Social Work
- Welfare State Reform in France
- Welfare State Theory
- Women and Macro Social Work Practice
- Women's Health Care
- Work and Family in the German Welfare State
- Workfare
- Workforce Development of Social Workers Pre- and Post-Empl...
- Working with Non-Voluntary and Mandated Clients
- Young and Adolescent Lesbians
- Youth at Risk
- Youth Services