Disability Studies A Nordic Perspective

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Disability StudiesA Nordic Perspective

• Disability Studies Conference
• Lancaster, July 2004
• Rannveig Traustadóttir
• Faculty of Social Science
• University of Iceland
• rannvt_at_hi.is

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Disability StudiesA Nordic Perspective

• Overview
• The Nordic context
• Nordic Disability Studies/Disability Research
• Similarities and difference with UK Disability
  studies
• Is there a Nordic model of disability?
• Understanding disability
• Theoretical approaches
• The social model of disability from a Nordic
  perspective
• Disability studies as a field
• Future of Nordic - UK connections

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The Nordic Context

• Five Nordic countries
• Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway Sweden
• Three self-governing regions
• Åland Islands, Faeroe Islands Greenland
• Lapland - Sami people in the North
• Crossing Norway, Sweden, Finland North Russia

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Nordic Situatedness andPolitics of Location

• How do we handle our located situatedness?
• Empirical research
• located in own country
• lessons from others
• lessons for others
• Domination of UK and USA
• important contributions
• dominating and generalized
• NonEnglish/ NonUK/USA
• must decide if we locate us or generalize
• problems of language and translations

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Disability Disability Studies in the Nordic
Countries

• Historical and political context 1960s/70s
• Citizenship and equality basic principles and
  values of the welfare state
• The principle of normalization was formulated in
  the Nordic countries
• Disabled peoples movement
• Independent living movement
• Welfare provisions and human rights should be
  extended to all, including disabled people

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Disability Disability Studies in the Nordic
Countries?

• Historical and political context 1960s/70s
• Critique of institutions unacceptable living
  conditions and human rights violations
• Critique of medical understanding of disability
• Society and the environment should be be changed
  so disabled people could participate
• Environmental turn - The focus shifted from the
  individual as the sole problem to include the
  social context
• Top down reforms

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NNDRNordic Network on Disability Research

• 1992 FUN, Forskning om utveklingshemming I Norden
  
• (Nordic Intellectual Disability Research)
• 1997 NNDR, Nordic Network on Disability Research
• 1999 SJDR, Scandinavian Journal of Disability
  Research

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Nordic Disability Research

• From NNDR Statutes
• NNDR is a multidisciplinary network of disability
  researchers interested in cultural, societal and
  environmental dimensions of disability and
  marginalization.
• The purpose and intention of NNDR is to promote
  and advance research and development in the field
  of disability.

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Nordic Disability Research cont

• From NNDR Statutes cont
• NNDR provides a forum for disability researchers,
  particularly from the Nordic countries, to meet,
  present, and discuss their research, as well as
  encouraging Nordic and international exchange and
  collaboration.

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UK Disability Studies

• From Lancaster 2004 conference
• Disability Studies is concerned with the
  inter-disciplinary development of an increasing
  body of knowledge and practice, which has arisen
  from the activities of the disabled peoples
  movement, and which has come to be known as the
  social model of disability.

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UK Disability Studies cont

• From Lancaster conference cont.
• The social model of disability locates the
  changing character of disability, which is viewed
  as an important dimension of inequality, in the
  social and economic structure and culture of the
  society in which it is found, rather than in
  individual limitations.

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Two Major Differences

• UK focus
• Disability Studies
• The social model of disability

• Nordic focus
• Disability Research
• No one single theory or model of disability

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Is there a Nordic Model of Disability?

• No one single way or approach but a family of
  ideas
• The Nordic relational model/approach
• Three main characteristics
• Disability is a person-environment mismatch
  (relationship/relational)
• Disability is situational or contextual
• Disability is relative
• (Tøssebro 2002, 2004)

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Understanding of Disability in the Nordic
Countries

• Issues of Language
• Disability is an umbrella term for groups of
  people with different impairments
• No unity within the Nordic countries about
  language use
• The distinction between disability and
  impairment does not translate well into Nordic
  languages
• Disabled people or People with disabilities
• The term disability studies is also difficult
  to translate into some Nordic languages

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Nordic Disability Studies

• Many disability scholars
• Many disability focused courses
• Single courses as part of other programs (social
  work, education, )
• Few disability studies programs - but are being
  developed mostly MA programs
• Doctoral students in many fields focus their work
  on disability
• Not a clear definition of disability studies
• DS and traditional disability focused programs
  (rehab., special ed., )

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Theoretical Development in Nordic Disability
Research

• Most Nordic Disability research has been
  practical empirical policy oriented research
• ------------------------------------------------
• Main characteristics (Gustavsson 2004)
• Non-theoretical approaches
• The reformers perspective
• (does-it-work approach)
• Personal experiences
• (Experience-near perspectives)

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Theoretical Development in Nordic Disability
Research

• Three main theoretical perspectives
• Essentialist perspectives
• Individual essentialism the clinical model
• Contextual essentialism the social model
• Constructionist perspectives
• Linguistic constructionism
• Cultural constructionism
• Relative interactionist perspective
• The most Nordic originates in 1960s/70s as an
  alternative to the more individual, essential
  definitions of disability

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Theoretical Development in Nordic Disability
Research

• Relative interactionist perspective
• Takes the relative definition of disability
  seriously
• Emphasizes a multi level approach and analysis
• Empirical sensitivity
• Different versions of the relative interactionist
  perspective can be identified

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Approaches to Disability in the Nordic Countries

• Given the most common understanding of disability
  and the theoretical approaches in Nordic
  disability research
• there is a firm believe that no one theory,
  approach, method or model can bring all the
  answers
• instead we must employ multiple ways and
  approaches - and keep looking for new ones
• the complexity of human existence calls for
  multiple and complex methods and approaches

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UK Social Model of Disability and the Nordic
Countries

• UK social model has received much attention among
  Nordic scholars, disabled people and
  professionals
• The social model is in line with dominant
  understanding of disability in the Nordic
  countries
• Has worked to re-vitalize and radicalize
  discussions and debates
• Liberating for disabled people
• Has directed Nordic attention to UK Disability
  Studies

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UK Social Model of Disability and the Nordic
Countries

• The disability impairment debate is
  confusing and not easily understandable in the
  Nordic lands
• Which social model?
• Is there one social model?
• Linking DS to one model is difficult for Nordic
  scholars to relate to
• Has been criticized by Nordic scholars

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UK and Nordic Disability StudiesSimilarities and
Differences

• Social and environmental emphasis
• Commitment to disability rights political agenda
  - and activism
• Disabled researchers
• Links to disabled people and
• the disabled peoples movement
• Theoretical perspectives
• Issues of accessibility
• Two major contributions
• Nordic Normalization
• UK Social model of disability
• International influence

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Disability Studies

• Belongs to a group of new multidisciplinary
  fields, e.g.
• Feminist/womens/gender studies
• Lesbian and gay/queer studies
• Ethnic minority studies

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Disability Studies and Other Multidisciplinary
Fields of Study

• Similarities
• Roots in social movements aimed to end oppression
  and marginalization
• Scholarship and activism
• Opposition to hegemonic normalcy
• Critique of dominant theories
• Challenging key concepts
• Development of new methodologies
• The biological and the social
• Essentialism and constructivism
• And much more

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Disability Studies and Other Multidisciplinary
Fields of Study

• Differences
• At least one significant difference between DS
  and the other fields Society has put in place
  service industry to deal with disabled people
  and devotes much resources to it
• Other differences
• How big is the group in question
• The individuals relationship to the group
• Historical, social and cultural context
• And more

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Disability Studies and Other Multidisciplinary
Fields of Study

• What can DS learn from the other fields?
• How did they start and develop?
• Why are some flourishing and others experiencing
  backlash?
• Historical and cultural contexts
• Place in the academy (disciplinary affiliation,
  independent programs or integrated courses)
• Fragmentation of the fields
• Survival strategies

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Nordic UK Future Collaboration

• NNDR has made conscious efforts to connect with
  UK disability scholars
• Exciting ideas, debates, sophisticated
  theorizing, innovative methods, etc.
• Geographical neighbors
• Many similarities, social, cultural, political,
  etc.
• From a Nordic perspective
• these connections have been wonderful
  challenging, expanding, fruitful and inspiring on
  a scholarly level - and
• very rewarding on a personal level

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Nordic - UK Future Collaboration

• NNDR efforts
• Working language of NNDR is English
• NNDR conferences are in English
• SJDR is an English language journal
• English language series on Nordic disability
  research is being published
• We invite, encourage, welcome and respect
  multiple and various perspectives

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Nordic - UK Future Collaboration and Contacts

• Next NNDR conference
• Oslo, Norway
• April 14 16, 2005
• http//www.sell.hil.no.nndr2005
• or
• http//www.nndr.dk
• We welcome people from the UK
• and other countries

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References

• Gustavsson, A. (2004). The role of theory in
  disability research Springboard or
  strait-jacket? Scandinavian Journal of Disability
  Research, Special Issue Understanding
  Disability. 6(1), 55-70.
• Tøssebro, J. (2002). Leaving the individual out
  Practical and logical problems. Paper presented
  at a Plenary Symposium Understanding disability
  The UK Social Model and the Nordic Relational
  Approach at the 6th NNDR Conference, Disability
  Research, Theory and Practice, 22 24 August,
  Reykjavík, Iceland.
• Tøssebro, J. (2004). Understanding disability
  Introduction to the special issues of SJDR.
  Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research,
  Special Issue Understanding Disability. 6(1), 3
  7.