Description
A radical departure from previous chronicles of education for people with disabilities, this book views special education from a broader perspective. Its central thesis is that cultural values and expectations play a dominant role in understanding the structure and function of special education. While theories of the social construction of disability have been written about in a growing body of research since the 1960s, no attempt has been made to create a cross-cultural framework. This work offers such a framework. Eight chapters, written by educators in each country's educational system cover the following nations: China, Great Britain, Hungary, Japan, Iran, Pakistan, United States, and Zimbabwe. Historical discussions in each chapter provide a context for current practice. An index and illustrations are also included.
Table of Contents
1: Introduction: Disabled People or Disabling Society?; 2: An Ideological-Cultural Framework for the Study of Disability; 3: Disability and Education: Some Observations on England and Wales; 4: Education and Disability in Hungary; 5: Education and Special Education in Cross-Cultural Perspective: The Islamic Republic of Iran; 6: Current Developments and the Problems of Culture and Special Education in Japan; 7: Education and Disability in Cross-Cultural Perspective: Pakistan; 8: Special Education in Cross-Cultural Perspective: People's Republic of China; 9: Education and Disability in Cross-Cultural Perspective: The United States; 10: Education and Disability: Challenge and Opportunity
