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Blaming the Victims: The Political Oppression of Disabled People

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The Politics, Sociology and Economics of Education

Abstract

As Raymond Williams said, it is hard to seriously consider major issues of human existence in a society which provides so many distractions (Williams, 1983, p. 18). With regard to disability, the distractions have been powerful. In the sociology of education, this subject has been largely neglected. In other areas of study, professional values and objectives have been significant. These have defined needs, policy, and practice in relation to disabled people. This legitimated marginalizing the position and perspectives of disabled people. Thus, discussions of inequality and social reproduction fail to adequately consider this aspect of social differentiation and discrimination.

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Authors
  1. Len Barton
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Connecticut, USA

    Russell F. Farnen (Professor of Political Science) (Professor of Political Science)

  2. University of Wuppertal, Germany

    Heinz Sünker (Professor of Social Pedagogics) (Professor of Social Pedagogics)

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© 1997 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited

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Barton, L. (1997). Blaming the Victims: The Political Oppression of Disabled People. In: Farnen, R.F., Sünker, H. (eds) The Politics, Sociology and Economics of Education. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-25752-2_4

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