What Escapes Persuasion: Why Intellectual Disability Troubles ‘Dependence’ in Liberal Societies
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: What expectations about the mind do people with intellectual disabilities depart from? A dominant argument maintains that their mental dependence troubles liberal relations premised upon a myth of autonomy. By analyzing the centrality of persuasion in a home for adults with intellectual disabilities in the UK, I ask instead about the psychological assumptions made by relationships of care. Persuasion aims to cultivate, not their independence from care but rather, a recognition of their dependence upon it. Persuasive care's repeated failure suggests an alternative answer to the question: people with intellectual disabilities are too independent-minded for this form of dependence.
Source: Medical Anthropology
Author: Patrick McKearney
Institution: University of Cambridge
Language: English
Subfield: Safety Research
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3080345783