Scot Danforth

Speech acts : Sampling the social construction of mental retardation in everyday life

A sample of speech acts in everyday discourse referring to persons or events having to do with the term mental retardation was analyzed in order to investigate the belief that language use both constructs and reflects cultural norms that define the social roles of persons reduced to object status through categorical membership. Speech acts gathered suggest four emergent themes: the discourse of category membership, the dichotomy of normal and abnormal, issues of place and space, and fear. These themes were explicated from a social constructionist perspective, displaying the way speech acts construct mental retardation and subvert individuals with the label into demeaned and ridiculed objects of cultural fear.

A Pragmatic Evaluation of Three Models of Disability in Special Education

This paper explains and utilizes the philosophy of pragmatism in the evaluation of three models of disability used in disability research and services. The three models are (1) the functional limitations model, (2) the minority group model, and (3) the social construction model. Pragmatism emphasizes the moral and political utility of ideas, the ways that a person, group, or culture can use a concept or belief to guide action in service to a democracy that values diversity, individuality, and equality. This analysis evaluates the practical usefulness of these three models in light of these democratic priorities.

A Deweyan Perspective on Democracy and Inquiry in the Field of Special Education.

On what basis do special educators working in the area of severe disabilities make decisions? This article provides an exploration of the practice of social inquiry in professional work that draws from the democratic ethics of John Dewey. Dewey emphasizes the need for knowledge to contribute to the daily challenge of fostering equality in human interactions and relationships. His philosophy supports the free development of many forms of social inquiry and the cultivation of a pluralistic dialogue valuing diverse perspectives. This article concludes with a description of advisory work within the self-advocacy movement as an example of Deweyan democracy in action.