Pity, Tragedy, Charity: History and the Overcoming Narrative

Flashcards focusing on key vocabulary from the lecture about the history and narratives surrounding disability, including various models and societal perceptions.

Overcoming Narrative

A cultural storyline portraying disabled people as inspirational only when they surpass their disabilities, often ignoring systemic issues.

Social Model of Disability

A framework suggesting that disability is caused by barriers in society, not by individual impairments.

Medical Model of Disability

A viewpoint that views disability primarily as a deficit or defect that needs to be fixed or cured.

Charity Model

A perspective that regards disabled individuals as objects of pity and charity, emphasizing their suffering.

Supercrip

A term used to describe individuals with disabilities who are celebrated for overcoming their impairments.

Eugenics

A movement advocating the improvement of human populations through controlled breeding, often leading to the exclusion of disabled individuals.

Institutionalization

The process of placing individuals, particularly those with disabilities, into institutions, often leading to segregation from society.

Medicalization of Disability

The process by which disabilities are defined and treated as medical issues rather than social problems.

Pre-Modern Period Attitudes

Ideologies where disability was viewed as a consequence of sin, divine punishment, or moral failings.

Industrial Revolution Impact

A period characterized by changes in labor and societal structure that influenced perceptions and treatment of people with disabilities.

Charity Telethons

Fundraising events that often present disabled people in a tragic light to inspire donations.

Civil Rights Era

A time when disability rights movements emerged, challenging discrimination and advocating for accessibility and justice.

The Great Confinement

A historical period when people with disabilities were often locked away in asylums or poor houses.

Freakshows

19th-century entertainment where disabled individuals were displayed as curiosities, reinforcing stigma.

Disability Studies

An interdisciplinary field that examines the social, cultural, and political aspects of disability.

Disability Dongle

A term implying superficial or inadequate adaptations for disabled individuals, rather than systemic changes.

Social Barriers

Obstacles created by societal attitudes and practices that restrict the participation of disabled people.

Inspiration Narrative

A narrative that frames disabled individuals as sources of inspiration, often neglecting their actual challenges.

Rights vs. Pity

A fundamental distinction in disability activism, advocating for the recognition of rights over being viewed as pitiable.

Stigma

A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person, notably affecting disabled individuals.

Individual Model Thinking

A perspective focusing on individual impairments rather than societal barriers to define disability.