A New Sociological Theoretical Framework for the interpretation of Disability: Critical Theory, Citizenship and Gende

MIGUEL A. V. FERREIRA; EDUARDO DÍAZ; CAROLINA FERRANTE; JUAN ZANCO

Lancaster

Congreso; 4th Biennial Disability Studies Conference; 2008

Lancaster University

We propose three analytic devices for the study of social exclusion processes inside disability experience from a sociological point of view. Domination logics produced by legitimic comprehension/action models and applied to social groups can be considered under the perspective of Bourdieu critical theory; particularly, the concept of habitus indicates how some fields characterised by symbolic resources competence generate discriminatory categories (good-bad, normal-pathological, healthy-illness) which are incorporated and embodied in agents conditioning their effective action capabilities. In addition, such categories tend to acquire an institutional recognition, being translated to law documents; so, analysing such texts it is possible to evaluate if some groups in a national state have an effective or a mere nominal condition. And the last point, applying a gender perspective it is possible to show how asymmetric interpretative categories and practices are incorporated into the agents. That is, habitus, law normative and gender condition define a framework in which disability appears as a socially constructed phenomenon based upon oppressive structures.