March 26, 2019 - 14:02
What is disability culture? Is there one, are there many? Who calls culture into being?
(This response is definitely not completely fleshed out, and as someone who is not a member of the disability community, my perception of disability culture definitely lacks authority)
I think there is one overarching disability culture, with a variety of subcultures. The subcultures can be disability-specific (deaf culture) or defined along different axis of identity or experience (queer crip culture). Culture relies on its members having shared values and shared experiences. It is in some ways like a social code of conduct, with values subtly communicated to the members through social exposure. Because of this, being disabled does not automatically mean that one is participating in disability culture (or at least the disability culture of the dominant disabled community), if there is isolation and disconnect from the disability community at large, since there is a lack of the communication of values.
As we have seen in this class, there is a recurrence of the arts as a tool for self expression as well as persuasion and education. Having support for the social model of disability, as well as exhibiting some degree of disability pride seem to be part of being a participant in disability culture as well.
Comments
Sorry for the late post and
Submitted by Serendip Guest (not verified) on March 26, 2019 - 18:27 Permalink
Sorry for the late post and hope this comment still comes timely.
Helena, you made a great point about the overall structure of the disability culture: subcultures under culture. To add on to your point for a bit: I think that those subcultures can intersect due to the shared experience across different disability communities. (Intersect in ways like a Venn Diagram).
Definitely agrees that culture is built on shared values and beliefs. You made a clear distinction between ‘being disabled’ and ‘participating in the disability culture’. In the other way around, the disability culture is also not primarily exclusive to the disabled community too. People can learn and agree with the disability culture through exposures such as ‘social exposure’ (what you mentioned). Forms of social exposure could be being family member/close friend/intimate ones who participate in disability culture and being educated about disability culture through lectures/books/conversations/social activism/community participation/etc.
In terms of calling culture into being, another avenue can be education. An example of that could be what I have explored in my midterm project: incorporating the culture of disability into culture competence education in medical school education. This avenue can be especially effective for those who have less social exposure to the disability culture in their backgrounds.
Response to Helena's view of 'disability culture'
Submitted by Xiwen on March 26, 2019 - 18:28 Permalink
Sorry for the late post and hope this comment still comes timely.
Helena, you made a great point about the overall structure of the disability culture: subcultures under culture. To add on to your point for a bit: I think that those subcultures can intersect due to the shared experience across different disability communities. (Intersect in ways like a Venn Diagram).
Definitely agrees that culture is built on shared values and beliefs. You made a clear distinction between ‘being disabled’ and ‘participating in the disability culture’. In the other way around, the disability culture is also not primarily exclusive to the disabled community too. People can learn and agree with the disability culture through exposures such as ‘social exposure’ (what you mentioned). Forms of social exposure could be being family member/close friend/intimate ones who participate in disability culture and being educated about disability culture through lectures/books/conversations/social activism/community participation/etc.
In terms of calling culture into being, another avenue can be education. An example of that could be what I have explored in my midterm project: incorporating the culture of disability into culture competence education in medical school education. This avenue can be especially effective for those who have less social exposure to the disability culture in their backgrounds.