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ampersand93's review against another edition
3.0
Stiker’s “A History of Disability” is an interesting and well-researched attempt at providing an overview of how disability has been perceived and constructed by/through sociocultural and religious lenses over time. But to call this a “history” is only a half-truth (as Mitchell and Snyder acknowledge in the foreword to the edition I own) since the focus of this study is exclusively European and Western and largely fails to take into account how disability intersects with other identity categories, such as race, gender, and sexuality. Nonetheless, the book is a good start for those who are still only finding their footing in disability studies.
drmlutze's review against another edition
4.0
This work would serve as a good first glance into the history of disability; however, the areas of focus do not always go into helpful depth. Stiker presents a thought-provoking ideology of disability perception through sociocultural and religious lenses, but does not really present as comprehensive a "history" as the title of the work would suggest. His study concentrates on Continental Europe and devotes the most attention to the Classical, Medieval, and Modern eras. If this is the location and these the eras that the reader happens to be particularly interested in, Stiker's work would prove a useful overview.
chantelspeaks's review against another edition
4.0
This book takes a fascinating look at the history of disability. Originally written in French, it focuses almost exclusively on disability history from a European perspective.
The book examines disability in a variety of historical contexts; through Greek myth and broader Ancient Greek society, through the lens of Christianity and the Middle Ages, and finally through the post-World War 1 period, where we see the rise of concepts of "reintegration" and "rehabilitation".
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of disability through multiple eras, as well as those interested in how we understand and "manage" disability and how this has changed and developed over time.
To read more reviews, head to my blog
The book examines disability in a variety of historical contexts; through Greek myth and broader Ancient Greek society, through the lens of Christianity and the Middle Ages, and finally through the post-World War 1 period, where we see the rise of concepts of "reintegration" and "rehabilitation".
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of disability through multiple eras, as well as those interested in how we understand and "manage" disability and how this has changed and developed over time.
To read more reviews, head to my blog
subdue_provide75's review against another edition
3.0
Poorly titled -- way more philosophical than a "History" lets on.
gabojaiko's review against another edition
4.0
In some ways I think this book preceded current ideas about disability- namely the calling for "we want our place, not a place that has been designated for us.". Stiker's discussion of inclusion- difference, assimilation, identity- are extremely useful (chapter 6), and the point of this chapter is made, because of it's difference from the chapters that precede it. The structure of the entire book contributes to the argument. It offers understandings and imagining of disability from the past, and questions our current (mainstream) formation of disability.