Social Contruction of Pain in Disability Studies

BĚLOHRAD, Radim. Social Contruction of Pain in Disability Studies. In ZAEC 2025. 2025.

Základní údaje

Originální název

Social Contruction of Pain in Disability Studies

Autoři

BĚLOHRAD, Radim ORCID

Vydání

ZAEC 2025, 2025

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Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Prezentace na konferencích

Obor

60302 Ethics

Stát vydavatele

Chorvatsko

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Ne

Organizační jednotka

Filozofická fakulta

Klíčová slova anglicky

disability; pain; social model; individual model; constructionism

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Anotace

V originále

Constructionist theories of disability maintain that disability is not a biological dysfunction but a social construct. According to this view, individuals are disabled not by impaired organs or dysfunctional bodily systems, but by societal structures that impose barriers and fail to accommodate their needs. Some theorists further contend that the concept of impairment lacks objective grounding and arises from societal prejudices against human variation. They argue that if social attitudes were to change, impairment would cease to be relevant, and disability would effectively disappear. This perspective, however, has faced significant criticism, including from scholars within disability studies. One of the most compelling objections centers on the phenomenon of pain. Certain impairments and disabilities are inherently painful, and no amount of social reform can eliminate this aspect of the experience. Acknowledging this, some disability scholars advocate for a moderate constructivist position that recognizes both the socially constructed dimensions of disability and the disabling effects of impairment and dysfunction. Other scholars, by contrast, minimize the role of pain, suggesting that pain itself may be socially constructed. In this presentation, I will pose a straightforward yet foundational question: Does pain matter? If the answer is yes, then strong forms of social constructionism about disability are untenable. Conversely, if pain does not matter, or if it can be eliminated through the adoption of a particular mindset, then this position entails serious social and political implications, potentially undermining the justification for disability activism.

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Návaznosti

GA25-15975S, projekt VaV

Název: Identitární politika – metafyzika a epistemologie Investor: Grantová agentura ČR, Identitární politika: metafyzika a epistemologie