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Disability rites: the cultural shift following impairment
Tracie C Harrison1, David L Kahn
1School of Nursing, University of Texas at Austin 78701, USA.
Family & Community Health
|January 16, 2004
Summary
Culture significantly shapes disability experiences and health barriers. This study extends anthropological models to better understand disability within local cultural contexts, proposing a framework for future research and health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Medical Anthropology
- Sociology of Health
- Disability Studies
Background:
- Disability is understood as socially and culturally constructed.
- Existing anthropological models, such as rites of passage, offer insights into disability experiences.
- Local cultural meanings influence how impairments and activities are perceived.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the cultural creation and definition of disability.
- To provide evidence for the existence of a disability culture.
- To extend anthropological models of rites of passage for persons with disabilities.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of cultural definitions of disability.
- Analysis of anthropological models, specifically rites of passage and liminality.
- Extension of Murphy's work on disability and rites of passage.
Main Results:
- Disability is culturally created, with local meanings assigned to impairments.
- Evidence supports the existence of a distinct disability culture.
- An expanded model of rites of passage is proposed for understanding disability.
Conclusions:
- Local cultures are essential contexts for studying disability.
- The expanded model can enhance understanding of disability and health barriers.
- Further research integrating cultural context is needed for effective health interventions.