Pastoral Relationship with People with Intellectual ... - Theses

34Commensurate with the social definition of disability, the associated termof disablism also requires understanding. This term has come to be regarded asbeing grounded in the prejudicial and oppressive beliefs and attitudes ofindividuals and groups within a particular society who regard people withdisabilities as lesser beings on the basis of their impairments. 421.6.2 Institution/InstitutionalisationIn 1961, American sociologist Erving Goffman, in referring to varioustypes of socially isolated, communal living situations, described what he referredto as the ‘total institution.’ This was “a place of residence and work where a largenumber of like-situated individuals, cut off from the wider society for anappreciable period of time, together lead an enclosed, formally administeredround of life.” 43 The qualities of this type of facility included control by a single,administrative authority; a single, rational institutional plan; ownership of theinstitution by staff; and long-term institutional residency leading to a sense ofdeculturalisation from the norms and values of the wider community and,consequently, the adoption of the cultural values and norms of the institution. 44This definition was viewed as being applicable to various communalcontexts involving the mass control of people under a hierarchical system ofauthority. It applied to contexts such as army camps, prisons, monasteries, mentalhealth facilities and facilities for those living with a wide range of physical andintellectual disabilities.It can be claimed that this was a definition ‘for its time’ and that sincethen Western societies have differentially sought alternative ways of addressingthe accommodation and other needs of people who live with disabilities.However, it can well be argued that Goffman’s initial definition still bearsrelevance on two counts.Firstly, there are still people today who live with disabilities, includingintellectual disabilities, in mass accommodation contexts under hierarchical42 Miller, Paul, Sophia Parker, and Sarah Gillinson. Disablism: How to Tackle the LastPrejudice Demos, 2004 [cited July 2 2004]. Available fromhttp://www.demos.co.uk/files/disablism.pdf?1240939425See also,Sapey, Bob, John Stewart, and Glenis Donaldson. "Increases in Wheelchair Use andPerceptions of Disablement." Disability & Society 20, no. 5 (2005): 489-505.43 Goffman, Erving. Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and OtherInmates. (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd, 1982), 12.44 ibid., 12-23.