Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2014
Journal / Book Title
Disability & Society
Abstract
The notion that some parents may be ‘in denial’ is a pervasive theme in dominant discourses on families of children with disabilities. In this analytic essay, I deconstruct cultural and institutional master narratives on parental denial and discuss their role in the marginalization of students with disabilities in schools. I argue that discourses on parental denial privilege the perspectives of those in positions of power and control, leave the practice of ability-based segregation in schools unexamined, and discredit agency among families. Additionally, drawing from existing narrative-based research, I explore alternative interpretations of parents’ responses to their children’s differences, situating these in the framework of critical disability studies.
DOI
10.1080/09687599.2014.923748
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Lalvani, Priya, "The Enforcement of Normalcy in Schools and the Disablement of Families: Unpacking Master Narratives On Parental Denial" (2014). Department of Teaching and Learning Scholarship and Creative Works. 134.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/teaching-learning-facpubs/134
Published Citation
Lalvani, P. (2014). The enforcement of normalcy in schools and the disablement of families: unpacking master narratives on parental denial. Disability & Society, 29(8), 1221-1233.