This course introduces Masters' students to disability and disablement as a key axes of socio-economic inequality, marginalisation and oppression and as a relevant and necessary area of sociological enquiry. The course introduces students to core debates, concepts, theories and methodologies in disability studies, sociology and anthropology. The course takes an intersectional approach and explores disablement in relation to other axes of inequality such as race, gender, sexuality, class, gender identity, and crime for example. The course critically locates disability and disablement as core issues of sociological enquiry and facilitates students to examine disability, the lived experiences of disabled people and intersectional oppression from a local and global standpoint.

One hour lecture and one hour seminar per week for ten weeks.

None

Summative Assessment 1: written case study on disability organisations

The primary aim of this course is to introduce students to the historical, political, cultural and theoretical roots of disablement in contemporary societies. It will provide a core grounding in disability theory and will explore disability and disablement as an issue of inequality, oppression and marginalisation through exploring examining disablement in relation to the state, social institutions, organisations and communities and everyday life.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

■ identify and discuss the core theoretical approaches and concepts in the field of disability and disablement;

■ show an awareness of the inequalities experienced by disabled people and their impact in selected areas of social, political and cultural life;

■ engage critically in debates on structural inequalities and disablement

■ demonstrate their understanding of the intersection of disability and other forms of social inequality;

■ assess critical debates in contemporary theoretical, empirical and policy-oriented literature.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.