Disability Studies and Post-Colonialism

1. Disability Studies and Post-Colonialism SlametThohari Seminar of Disability Studies

2. Disability theories: • Medical Talcott Parson Personal Tragedy Thories Deviance institutionalization institutionalization

3. New Perspectives at 70th • is a social problem, or “disability” is caused by social structure and environment, then people become a disabled is due to the social oppression. • Social Model in UK • Mike Oliver (1983, 1990, 1996) Barnes (1991) dan Vic Finkelstein( 1980; 1981) and other people in UK.) • Independent Living in Berkeley USA • David Pfeiffer (Hawaii)

4. Medical Vs Social Model Medical Social Model

5. Post-Colonialism • Postcolonial theories share “a social, political, and moral concern about the history and legacy of colonialism – how it continues to shape people’s lives, well-being, and life opportunities” (Young, 2001 in Browne, Smye & Varcoe, 2005, p. 19).

6. Western power Something Defined Object of Charity Euro-centrism Something Rationalized Colonialism

7. 1. Political oppression 2. Economic oppression 3. Social/cultural oppression 4. Psychological oppression Remains Today Legacies of Colonialism New Colonialism?

8. Postcolonial Theory • Destabilizing  western Way of Thinking, • Creating space for the Subaltern  or marginalized groups • Clearing space from dominant discourse • Producing an alternative discourse instead of the dominant discourse.

9. Example: Java, Indonesia Disability is Magical Javanese society considered person who had a supernatural power and must be respected.

10. Disability in Java

11. Medical brought by the Dutch in 1621. • People with disabilities as “medical problems”. • Categorized as “abnormal” in 1808.

12. Colonial Legacies on Disability • Medical Standards in educations • Medical Standard in Civil Servant • Medical Standard in Politics Social Pathologies Department of Social Affairs

13. The other example American Legacies Sickness Social Pathologies

14. About 1974 and the Years after ICIDH ( International Classification of Impairment ,Disability and Health) Segregated and isolated based on their disabilities standardization of sign languages

15. About 1993 into Indonesian today! • Some of people have been trying to implement the social model and independent living • Implement “barrier-free environment “ It’s not succeeded

16. Power Western Biases The Theory is Not based on Cultures Theory Neo- Colonialism

17. How postcolonial perspective sees people with disabilities ? • Colonial Legacies complex problems for people with disabilities • Colonial Policies social context of Europe • Many theories historical context of society • If They are absorbed uncritically with scant reference with local habits “Colonialism” • There is correlation between the subordination of people with disabilities in “the third-world” and the power of “western countries”, because many theories adopted in many polices came up with powers

18. What are we going to do with Post-colonialism in disability studies? • analyzing phenomena people with disabilities by correlating with colonial legacies • clearing space for “domination of normalcy”, and “colonial legacies” and western-countries power • Producing the alternative discourse instead of the dominant discourses