Society for Disability Studies

Printer-friendly version

DSP/CFE 930: SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY OF EDUCATION:

SEMINAR ON DISABILITY STUDIES

Spring 2008

Steve Taylor Meeting Place: 108 Hoople
Hoople Building (805 S. Crouse Ave.) Meeting Day: Thursdays
443-3851 Meeting Time: 4:00-6:55
staylo01@syr.edu

Seminar Information

1. Books have been ordered and are available from the Orange Student Bookstore.

2. Read all assigned books carefully before the seminar meeting.

3. Attend all seminar meetings and participate actively in seminar discussions. If you miss a session, you should write a three to five page review of the assigned reading(s).

4. Complete a discussion guide of the readings for two or more sessions, in cooperation with other seminar participants. The discussion guide should be two to four pages in length and should list issues or questions for discussion. The guide should be organized according to chapters in the assigned book or individual articles. Do not ask participants to give their overall impressions or evaluations of the book at the beginning of the discussion. Overall impressions or evaluations should be discussed at the end of the seminar meeting. The discussion guide must be sent to all seminar participants no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday before the book will be discussed through Blackboard.

5. Discussion leaders are encouraged to consult book reviews, articles, and web sites in the preparation of discussion guides. They may also wish to post these materials on Blackboard prior to the session. Make sure that you acknowledge and cite any sources used in preparation of discussion guides.

6. Students auditing the seminar are not expected to prepare discussion guides or lead discussions. However, they should attempt to keep up with the readings.

7. If you need readings available in alternative formats or other accommodations, contact the Office of Disability Services immediately. Let me know if there is anything I can do to make the seminar more meaningful to you.

Seminar Schedule

1. Jan. 17 Introduction

2. Jan. 24 The Social Construction of “Mental Retardation”

On Blackboard (http://blackboard.syr.edu):
• Robert Bogdan and Steven J. Taylor, “The Social Construction of Humanness”
• Steven J. Taylor, “You’re Not a Retard, You’re Just Wise”
• David Goode, “A World without Words” (Chapter 2 from Goode, D. A World Without Words: The Social Construction of Children Born Deaf and Blind. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1994, pp. 7-46)
• Carol Ronai, “On Loving and Hating My Mentally Retarded Mother”

3. Jan. 31 Thomas Szasz, The Manufacture of Madness

On Blackboard (http://blackboard.syr.edu):

• Thomas Szasz, “Science and Public Policy: The Crime of Involuntary Mental Hospitalization”

4. Feb. 7 Michael Bérubé, Life As We Know It

5. Feb. 14 TBA

6. Feb. 21 Stephen Jay Gould, The Mismeasure of Man

7. Feb. 28 Paul Longmore, Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability

8. March 6 Douglas Bayton, Forbidden Signs

March 13 SPRING BREAK: NO MEETING

9. March 20 Lennard Davis, The Disability Studies Reader (2nd Edition 2006), Parts I
and II.

10. March 27 Lennard Davis, The Disability Studies Reader (remainder of book)

11. April 3 Linda Krieger, Backlash Against the ADA (pp. 1-188)

NOTE: For this session, discussion leaders should also provide a summary of a U.S. Supreme Court case on the ADA since the book was published. This summary can be a published commentary or can be prepared by discussion leaders.

12. April 10 Linda Krieger, Backlash Against the ADA (pp. 189-393)

NOTE: See April 3.

13. April 17 Bonnie Smith and Beth Hutchison, Gendering Disability (Parts I and II)

14. April 24 Bonnie Smith and Beth Hutchison, Gendering Disability (remainder of
book)