Ableism, Disability and Society

Order Description
Research Essay
Students will write an essay on the following topic:
a) Critically discuss the extent to which the social model of disability is representative of the lived
experiences of people with disabilities.
The essay should:
? Indicate the word length at the end or on the cover sheet. The word count should not be more than 10%
over or under the word limit – marks will be deducted if they are.
? Be presented in appropriate academic style (structure, neat presentation, following the referencing style
guide, correct grammar and punctuation etc).
? Have a clear focus and manageable scope.
? Synthesise information on the topic in order to make a cohesive argument.
? Provide scholarly evidence in support of the argument made, including research using quantitative and/or
qualitative data.
? Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts used (please note, this does not mean the insertion of a
definition, but the application of the concept in a way that shows your understanding. Aim to paraphrase as
much as possible).
? Cite and reference at least ten scholarly sources from the unit reader, further reading list or
recommended journals.

Base this assignment on the following readings:

Social Approaches:
Oliver, M. (1996). The Social Model in Context. In his Understanding disability: From theory to practice (pp. 30 –
42). Houndmills, Basingstoke: Macmillan.
Thomas, C. (2004). Rescuing a social relational understanding of disability. Scandinavian Journal of Disability
Research, 6(1), 22-36. doi: 10.1080/15017410409512637.

Ableism & Affirmation:

Campbell, F. A. K. (2008). Exploring internalized ableism using critical race theory. Disability & Society, 23(2),
151-162. doi: 10.1080/09687590701841190.
Swain, J., & French, S. (2000). Towards an Affirmation Model of Disability. Disability & Society, 15(4), 569-582.
doi: 10.1080/09687590050058189.

Gendering Disability:
Lloyd, M. (2001). The Politics of Disability and Feminism: Discord or Synthesis? Sociology, 35(3), 715-728. doi:
doi:10.1017/S0038038501000360.
Scott, J.-A. (2014). Illuminating the Vulnerability of Hegemonic Masculinity through a Performance Analysis of
Physically Disabled Men’s Personal Narratives. Disability Studies Quarterly, 34(1).

Decolonising Disability:

Meekosha, H. (2011). Decolonising disability: thinking and acting globally. Disability & Society, 26(6), 667-682.
doi: 10.1080/09687599.2011.602860.
Hollinsworth, D. (2013). Decolonizing Indigenous disability in Australia. Disability & Society, 28(5), 601-615. doi:
10.1080/09687599.2012.717879.