Anne Waldschmidt - Böcker

Over the last three decades, a number of reforms have taken place in European social policy with an impact on the opportunities for persons with disabilities to be full and active members of society. The policy reforms have aimed to change the balance between citizens’ rights and duties and the opportunities to enjoy choice and autonomy, live in the community and participate in political decision-making processes of importance for one’s life. How do the reforms influence the opportunities to exercise Active Citizenship? This volume presents the findings from the first cross-national comparison of how persons with disabilities reflexively make their way through the world, pursuing their own interests and values. The volume considers how their experiences, views and aspirations regarding participation vary across Europe. Based on retrospective life-course interviews, the volume examines the scope for agency on the part of persons with disabilities, i.e. the extent to which men and women with disabilities are able to make choices and pursue lives they have reasons to value. Drawing on structuration theory and the capability approach, the volume investigates the opportunities for exercising Active Citizenship among men and women in nine European countries. The volume identifies the policy implications of a process-oriented and multi-dimensional approach to Active Citizenship in European disability policy. It will appeal to policymakers and policy officials, as well as to researchers and students of disability studies, comparative social policy, international disability law and qualitative research methods.

Over the last three decades, a number of reforms have taken place in European social policy with an impact on the opportunities for persons with disabilities to be full and active members of society. The policy reforms have aimed to change the balance between citizens’ rights and duties and the opportunities to enjoy choice and autonomy, live in the community and participate in political decision-making processes of importance for one’s life. How do the reforms influence the opportunities to exercise Active Citizenship? This volume presents the findings from the first cross-national comparison of how persons with disabilities reflexively make their way through the world, pursuing their own interests and values. The volume considers how their experiences, views and aspirations regarding participation vary across Europe. Based on retrospective life-course interviews, the volume examines the scope for agency on the part of persons with disabilities, i.e. the extent to which men and women with disabilities are able to make choices and pursue lives they have reasons to value. Drawing on structuration theory and the capability approach, the volume investigates the opportunities for exercising Active Citizenship among men and women in nine European countries. The volume identifies the policy implications of a process-oriented and multi-dimensional approach to Active Citizenship in European disability policy. It will appeal to policymakers and policy officials, as well as to researchers and students of disability studies, comparative social policy, international disability law and qualitative research methods.

Die Disability Studies sind ein international etabliertes, anspruchsvolles und innovatives Forschungsfeld, in dem es darum geht, das Phänomen „(Nicht-)Behinderung“ als historische, soziale, politische und kulturelle Konstruktion zu fassen, es somit aus der medizinisch-pädagogischen Umklammerung zu lösen und unter einer genuin sozial- und kulturwissenschaftlichen Perspektive zu untersuchen. Ähnlich den Gender Studies oder Queer Studies handelt es sich bei den Disability Studies um einen Ansatz, der eine emanzipatorische Zielrichtung verfolgt. Das Handbuch führt in den internationalen Diskurs ein und bietet einen fundierten Überblick über die Entwicklung, Grundlagen und Debatten der deutschsprachigen Disability Studies. Die Aufsätze behandeln zentrale theoretische, methodische und empirische Fragen aus unterschiedlichen Disziplinen sowie intersektionale und querliegende Perspektiven der Studien zu „dis/ability“. Das Handbuch eignet sich insbesondere als Nachschlagewerk für Forschung und Lehre.

Private Unabhängigkeit und Selbstverantwortung machen die moderne Existenz aus. Doch erst seit Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts ist es auch chronisch kranken und behinderten Menschen möglich, persönliche Autonomie für sich zu reklamieren. Die neoliberale Moderne gibt ihnen die Freiheit; zugleich baut sie neue Barrieren auf. In dieser Studie wird der Stellenwert von Selbstbestimmung in Gesundheitsversorgung, Rehabilitation und Bioethik untersucht.Im theoretischen Teil werden Historizität und Ambivalenz des Autonomiekonzepts herausgearbeitet. Anschließend werden narrativ strukturierte Einzelfallstudien vorgestellt, in denen körperlich beeinträchtigte Frauen und Männer ihre Alltagstheorien und Erfahrungen bei der Verwirklichung eines selbstbestimmten Lebens schildern.