Overview
Historically, segregation and social isolation have been recurring responses to people considered defective or deficient in some way. And it is in the midst of such a society that special educator J. David Smith wrote this book, which presents critical historical and contemporary issues in mental retardation. Told through gripping vignettes and interwoven with the story of the life of John Lovelace, a man labeled mentally retarded as a child then institutionalized and sterilized, this gripping text will make all readers reconsider not only our social policies and practices, but also our personal actions, in relation to people with mental retardation. Topics covered here include an examination of ways people have been misidentified as having disabilities, then needlessly warehoused in institutions. Coupled with the tragic story of John Lovelace, this book is one that will be long remembered by its readers, and will ideally spur them to action. This book offers new directions for the field of mental retardation, including conceptual and terminology changes regarding intellectual disabilities, and new thinking about the people whose lives have been altered by the term and the concept. Insights from parents, friends, teachers, and varied special education experts are included, as is the strong view of author Smith, who befriended Lovelace. He was often ignored, regularly avoided and treated as less than a person, as invisible, explains Smith. And Lovelace is the metaphorical island to which each chapter here returns, a vivid example of the denial of freedom and dignity to people who bear an intellectually inferior label. In the end, we see how society can promote values that inspire and challenge us to create humane and just treatment for all, or we can just look the other way when facing disturbing human needs.
Full Product Details
Author: J. David Smith
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint: Praeger Publishers Inc
Dimensions:
Width: 15.60cm
, Height: 2.50cm
, Length: 23.50cm
Weight: 0.482kg
ISBN: 9780313355387
ISBN 10: 031335538
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 30 December 2008
Recommended Age: From 7 to 17 years
Audience:
General/trade
,
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
General
,
Tertiary & Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
Utilizing insights from friends, parents, teachers, and special education experts—as well as fictional characters in literature and real people—the author provides a gripping picture of the damage caused by prevailing attitudes about mental retardation. The book uses the true story of John Lovelace, a man who was diagnosed as retarded as a child, institutionalized, and sterilized, to illustrate the struggles of those people saddled with an identity they did not choose. * SciTech Book News * …a good read. . . it is generally uplifting. And it is well written. . . . The story allows for a very personal and realistic examination of the history of the treatment of mental retardation in the United States. Smith covers the eugenics movement well and gives numerous examples of how pseudoscience has been invoked to justify blatant prejudice. * PsycCRITIQUES *
<p>. ..a good read. . . it is generally uplifting. And it is well written. . . . The story allows for a very personal and realistic examination of the history of the treatment of mental retardation in the United States. Smith covers the eugenics movement<p>well and gives numerous examples of how pseudoscience has been invoked to justify blatant prejudice. - <p>PsycCRITIQUES
...a good read. . . it is generally uplifting. And it is well written. . . . The story allows for a very personal and realistic examination of the history of the treatment of mental retardation in the United States. Smith covers the eugenics movement well and gives numerous examples of how pseudoscience has been invoked to justify blatant prejudice. - PsycCRITIQUES Utilizing insights from friends, parents, teachers, and special education experts-as well as fictional characters in literature and real people-the author provides a gripping picture of the damage caused by prevailing attitudes about mental retardation. The book uses the true story of John Lovelace, a man who was diagnosed as retarded as a child, institutionalized, and sterilized, to illustrate the struggles of those people saddled with an identity they did not choose. - SciTech Book News
"""Utilizing insights from friends, parents, teachers, and special education experts—as well as fictional characters in literature and real people—the author provides a gripping picture of the damage caused by prevailing attitudes about mental retardation. The book uses the true story of John Lovelace, a man who was diagnosed as retarded as a child, institutionalized, and sterilized, to illustrate the struggles of those people saddled with an identity they did not choose."" - SciTech Book News ""...a good read. . . it is generally uplifting. And it is well written. . . . The story allows for a very personal and realistic examination of the history of the treatment of mental retardation in the United States. Smith covers the eugenics movement well and gives numerous examples of how pseudoscience has been invoked to justify blatant prejudice."" - PsycCRITIQUES"
Utilizing insights from friends, parents, teachers, and special education experts-as well as fictional characters in literature and real people-the author provides a gripping picture of the damage caused by prevailing attitudes about mental retardation. The book uses the true story of John Lovelace, a man who was diagnosed as retarded as a child, institutionalized, and sterilized, to illustrate the struggles of those people saddled with an identity they did not choose. - SciTech Book News ...a good read... it is generally uplifting. And it is well written... The story allows for a very personal and realistic examination of the history of the treatment of mental retardation in the United States. Smith covers the eugenics movement well and gives numerous examples of how pseudoscience has been invoked to justify blatant prejudice. - PsycCRITIQUES
Author Information
J. David Smith is Professor of Special Education and Chair of the Department of Specialized Education Services at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Smith is the author of 13 books. One of the integrating themes of his research and writing has been a concern for the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. He also has a particular interest in the history of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
