Title
The Body and Physical Difference: Discourses of Disability (The Body, In Theory: Histories Of Cultural Materialism),Used
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For years the subject of human disability has engaged those in the biological, social and cognitive sciences, while at the same time, it has been curiously neglected within the humanities. The Body and Physical Difference seeks to introduce the field of disability studies into the humanities by exploring the fantasies and fictions that have crystallized around conceptions of physical and cognitive difference. Based on the premise that the significance of disabilities in culture and the arts has been culturally vexed as well as historically erased, the collection probes our society's pathological investment in human variability and 'aberrancy.' The contributors demonstrate how definitions of disability underpin fundamental concepts such as normalcy, health, bodily integrity, individuality, citizenship, and moralityall terms that define the very essence of what it means to be human.The book provides a provocative range of topics and perspectives: the absence of physical 'otherness' in Ancient Greece, the depiction of the female invalid in Victorian literature, the production of tragic innocence in British and American telethons, the reconstruction of Civil War amputees, and disability as the aesthetic basis for definitions of expendable life within the modern eugenics movement. With this new, secure anchoring in the humanities, disability studies now emerges as a significant strain in contemporary theories of identity and social marginality.Moving beyond the oversimplication that disabled people are marginalized and made invisible by ableist assumptions and practices, the contributors demonstrate that representation is founded upon the perpetual exhibition of human anomalies. In this sense, all art can be said to migrate toward the 'freakish' and the 'grotesque.' Such a project paradoxically makes disability the exception and the rule of the desire to represent that which has been traditionally outofbounds in polite discourse.The Body and Physical Difference has relevance across a wide range of academic specialties such as cultural studies, the sociology of medicine, history, literature and medicine, the allied health professions, rehabilitation, aesthetics, philosophical discourses of the body, literary and film studies, and narrative theory.David T. Mitchell is Assistant Professor of English, Northern Michigan University. Sharon L. Snyder teaches film and literature at Northern Michigan University.
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- Q: What is the main focus of 'The Body and Physical Difference'? A: The book explores the field of disability studies in the humanities, examining how conceptions of physical and cognitive differences are represented in culture and the arts.
- Q: Who are the authors of this book? A: The book is authored by David T. Mitchell and Sharon L. Snyder, both associated with Northern Michigan University.
- Q: What academic disciplines does this book relate to? A: It relates to cultural studies, sociology of medicine, history, literature and medicine, allied health professions, rehabilitation, aesthetics, philosophical discourses of the body, literary and film studies, and narrative theory.
- Q: When was 'The Body and Physical Difference' published? A: The book was published on October 8, 1997.
- Q: What type of binding does this book have? A: This book is available in a paperback binding.
- Q: How many pages are in 'The Body and Physical Difference'? A: The book contains a total of 320 pages.
- Q: Is this book suitable for readers outside of academia? A: While it is primarily aimed at academic audiences, the discussions within may also benefit general readers interested in disability studies and cultural representations.
- Q: What are some topics covered in this book? A: Topics include the absence of physical 'otherness' in Ancient Greece, the portrayal of female invalids in Victorian literature, and the aesthetics of disability in modern eugenics.
- Q: Is 'The Body and Physical Difference' considered a significant work in its field? A: Yes, it is recognized as an important contribution to contemporary theories of identity and social marginality within disability studies.
- Q: What is the condition of the book being sold? A: The book is listed as 'New', indicating it has not been previously owned or used.