SOC 2007 - The Sociology of Disability

3 cr. 3 hr. Offered once every other year

This course looks at disability from a sociological perspective. How people with various disabilities understand and live their lives are often predicated on notions of health, rehabilitation, infirmity and spiritual transcendence. To derive answers to the many questions that disability presents we will explore how sociological theories and perspectives can be applied to disability as a concept and its lived reality. During the semester we will examine the concept of disability and its historical roots, looking at the structural issues that have impacted people with disabilities. We will look at causes of disability. We will examine the activism of people with disabilities. We will also examine research and theories that seek to problematize the notion of disability and its relationship to institutional frameworks and medical initiatives. This course will examine these issues via film, television, radio, the internet and written texts along with classroom interaction. Free Elective