Introducing Disability Studies

by Ronald J. Berger

Ronald Berger provides students with a comprehensive, accessible introduction to the key themes and controversies in disability studies. This innovative • provides historical context, from ancient times to the present • traces disability's impact throughout the life course • gives prominence to the voices of people with disabilities • explores popular culture’s role in distorting ideas about disability • addresses emerging ethical issues, such as the implications of genetic selection. Illustrating the profound consequences of differing conceptions of physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments, Berger provides a solid foundation for making sense of disability as a social phenomenon.

Genres: Disability, Disability Studies, Nonfiction

271 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2012

About the author

Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to teaching this text..

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invaluable introductory resource. Put a lot of things into perspective and furnished me with a crucial vocabulary with which to contextualize my life and many of my experiences.

Straightforward and informative.

[Dorothea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot to be said for the lucidity of this reading, which takes one through a very solid overview of the main topics of disability studies and satisfies the expectations set up by the title well. I suppose, however, that I would have liked to see more of the theories/arguments explicated than to see the wide variety of (sometimes) repeated examples. However, the bibliography is complete and making use of this helps balance out that deficiency.

[Olwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Academic text for rehabilitation counselling studies.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of disability-related topics, with a treasure trove of a bibliography for further research.

[Mills College Library]

305.908 B4966 2013