THE SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY AND THE DISAPPEARING BODY - TOWARDS A SOCIOLOGY OF IMPAIRMENT

What is the case for and how would one begin to construct a sociology of impairment This paper argues that the realignment of the disability /impairment distinction is vital for the identity politics of the disa bility movement. The body is at the heart of contemporary political an d theoretical debate, yet the social model of disability makes it an e xile. The transformation of the body from a reactionary to an emancipa tory concept implies a sociology of impairment. This paper explores th e contribution that post-structuralism and phenomenology might make to this end.