Sociology of Disability

Drawing on sociological theory and disability studies scholarship, this course explores how societies construct meanings of disability, normalcy, and difference, and how these constructions influence social institutions, policies, and everyday interactions. Through critical analysis of key institutions—e.g. education, work, and the criminal justice system—students will examine how ableism operates at structural levels while also exploring disability rights movements and forms of resistance and agency. Many of these issues will be examined through an intersectional lens, analyzing how disability intersects with race, gender, class, and other identities to create complex experiences of privilege and marginalization.