Bringing Disability into the Sociological Frame: A comparison of disability with race, sex, and sexual orientation statuses
- 1 January 2001
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Disability & Society
- Vol. 16 (1), 5-19
- https://doi.org/10.1080/713662032
Abstract
Applying a social constructionist perspective, this paper explores the shared characteristics of American constructions of race, sex, sexual orientation, and disability. The discussion considers how each of these statuses is constructed through social processes in which categories of people are (1) named, (2) aggregated and disaggregated, (3) dichotomized and stigmatized, and (4) denied the attributes valued in the culture. The apparent utility of the social constructionist perspective - and its dominance in American sociology - is contrasted with its infrequent application to the study of disability.Keywords
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