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On the Margins of Citizenship: Intellectual Disability and Civil Rights in Twentieth-Century America
On the Margins of Citizenship provides a comprehensive, sociological history of the fight for civil rights for people with intellectual disabilities. Allison Carey, who has been active in disability advocacy and politics her entire life, draws upon a broad range of historical and legal documents as well as the literature of citizenship studies to develop a "relational-practice" approach to the issues of intellectual disability and civil rights. She examines how and why parents, self-advocates, and professionals fought for different visions of rights for this population throughout the twentieth century and the changes that took place over that time.
Presenting the shifting constitutional and legal restrictions for this marginalized group, Carey argues that policies tend to sustain an ambiguity that simultaneously promises rights yet also allows their retraction.
286 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 28, 2026
(3.25?) a history of disability rts activism w a focus on folks w intellectual disabilities. nothing too surprising; clean but dry text; like always, im moved by the work of the 70s and 80s. i picked this book up bc the argument in the intro — abt ways to define citizenship and their impact for the disabled — was intriguing! unfortunately only get the author’s ideas at the start and end. i like her pt abt how bc rights are relational practices so “self determination” req the remaking of community / both formal and informal changes must occur
March 8, 2010
This is a sociological history of intellectual disability with a focus on how both the concept of disability and the existence of civil rights have been variously socially constructed through U.S. history. The historical data come from case studies, the written discourse among the relevant social movements, agencies, and key figures, and judicial cases.
It is an important book, I think, for two key audiences: those with an interest in the history of intellectual disability, and those with an interest in the sociology of rights. The core content of the book is the history that fills Chapters Three thru Nine, but from a sociological perspective the key chapters are Chapter Two, which provides the theoretical sociological framework for making sense of the history, and the concluding Chapter, Ten.
At the core of the theory, Carey argues that rights are socially constructed symbolic resources, grounded in social practices, that are negotiated interpersonally in the interaction between individuals and, at a collective, societal level in the relationships between collective actors. The theory is close to that offered by Peggy Somers, though the particular application to persons with intellectual disabilities, given the very contested nature of their civil rights, is nearly ideal for illustrating the fundamentally relational nature of rights, and how they are socially constructed in the interplay between actors with competing interests.
The data are such that Carey concentrates her analysis on the more macrosociological level, so those looking for a microsociological analysis may wish to look elsewhere.
It is an important book, I think, for two key audiences: those with an interest in the history of intellectual disability, and those with an interest in the sociology of rights. The core content of the book is the history that fills Chapters Three thru Nine, but from a sociological perspective the key chapters are Chapter Two, which provides the theoretical sociological framework for making sense of the history, and the concluding Chapter, Ten.
At the core of the theory, Carey argues that rights are socially constructed symbolic resources, grounded in social practices, that are negotiated interpersonally in the interaction between individuals and, at a collective, societal level in the relationships between collective actors. The theory is close to that offered by Peggy Somers, though the particular application to persons with intellectual disabilities, given the very contested nature of their civil rights, is nearly ideal for illustrating the fundamentally relational nature of rights, and how they are socially constructed in the interplay between actors with competing interests.
The data are such that Carey concentrates her analysis on the more macrosociological level, so those looking for a microsociological analysis may wish to look elsewhere.
November 6, 2012
Carey gives us a brilliant analysis of the shifting concept of intellectual disability (alt., idiocy, feeble-mindedness, mental retardation, and a host of other labels) through the lens of citizenship and human rights in the United States of America. Ideas about what it means to be human, a citizen, a free agent, are tied to discussions about rationality and the ability to communicate and make choices in public life. Carey demonstrates how discussions about rights intertwine with discussions about disability, and argues that the ideology of classical liberalism, which prizes autonomy and production among other things, marginalizes those with disabilities despite the efforts of caregivers, family members, and governments to care for/control disability. Highly recommended, although the analysis, as promised, is mostly political/legal.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews