Dottorato in Scienze Psicologiche, Antropologiche e dell'Educazione

Contatti

Supervisore

Tesi di dottorato

Disability, organizations and welfare: toward new models supporting life project

Background

 In the last few years, disability is no longer considered just a medical or educational issue. Disability studies, in fact, are spreadly interdisciplinary, involving human and social sciences as well as law, philosophy, architecture and beyond. The debate in scholars’ community is focusing on some core suggestions coming from the latest international literature and official documents. Namely, the UN Convention for the rights of persons with disabilities, the capability approach developed by A. Sen and potential expansions of International Classification of Functioning (ICF). Disability issues are moving from a need/charity based approach to a right-based model. According to this perspective, disability is considered as to lack of participation and inclusion. People with disability are directly involved in reflections and resolutions they are concerned with. In this sense, several scholars have been considering the potential contribution of capability approach to disability studies. Namely, capability approach focuses on the possibility an individual has to choose the lifestyle he/she values. The possibility to choose comes out as a multicomponent issue bound to the conceptualization of freedom as the result of interaction between personal characteristics and social assets. Hence, the debate has been developing in several directions, dealing with more than a few issues.

Firstly, scholars and policy makers have to deal with the fact that, as Sen himself noticed when historically discriminated groups are concerned; they often have “internalized” the lack of freedom and possibilities. Hence, people may need support or to be involved in empowerment processes to reach the actual possibility to make a choice.

 Secondly, when policies are concerned, we have to face the trade-off between respecting self-determination, going through individuals’ choices, and establishing priorities, which is necessary to carry on policies. The answer to this trade-off has to take into account the different conversion ability that different people has. Hence, there is a need in developing new issues on equality distribution, to deal with this difference, in order to guarantee, in the end, equality of wealth.  

In this complex and interdisciplinary background, one of main open issues is how to enhance people’s choice possibilities, sustaining one’s awareness and self-promotion capacity. Though Sen does not treat about it explicitly, empowerment comes out as a central dimension in “power of choice” enhancement process. Nevertheless, different forms of people’s association and organization has shown to be able to contribute effectively and spreadly to enhance empowerment level and make people participating more consciously making the decision they are concerned with. Associations’ role may no be seen as limited to advocacy but involve people support, information, self-help. All of those aspects may affect choice dimension as to life project and inclusion of people with disability.

Aim

The aim of this project is to investigate the choice issue as to the life project of people with disability. The research intends to provide a conceptual organization when it comes to people with disability associations’ acting in this field. 

Attività di ricerca

disabiity and right-based model

caregiving and support

independent life