The Politics of Disablement

Course code
C71
Course fee
Price
€80
Course Level
Master or PhD

The Politics of Disablement Summer School brings together scholars from various fields in the humanities and social sciences interested in thinking about the intersection of disability studies and politics. The event aims to explore the diverse ways in which disability is understood and experienced within different social, cultural and political contexts. The summer school will provide a platform for scholars, researchers and practitioners to engage in interdisciplinary discussions, share their research and exchange ideas on the politics of disablement. 

The summer school is organized around three tracks: disability and social justice, the body and sexuality, and capacity and representation. Each track will have a distinct focus, and participants can submit ideas for papers and workshops related to these themes. The disability and social justice track will explore the intersection between disability and social inequalities, examining the ways in which disability relates to different forms of discrimination, marginalization and epistemic (in)justice. The body and sexuality track will focus on the ways in which disability intersects with issues concerning sexuality, gender, and the body, exploring the social and cultural constructions of disability as they relate to sexuality, embodiment, and identity. Finally, the capacity and representation track will explore the ways in which disability is represented in popular culture, media and literature, the impact of these representations on the lives of disabled people, and their political implications and consequences. 

The summer school will offer participants the opportunity to engage with other scholars in the field of disability studies, and to share their own research with a wider audience. In addition to paper presentations and workshops by the participants, the summer school will also include lectures, panel discussions and social events, with the aim of creating a vibrant and stimulating environment to think through the relationship between disability and the political.

C71 The Politics of Disablement summer school 2023.pdf
Course director
Prof.dr. Alice Schippers

Lecturers

  • Alice Schippers is Professor by Special Appointment of Disability Studies at the University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, and Executive Director Disability Studies in the Netherlands. After her graduation (Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Utrecht University, 1990) she started working in the disability field and alongside finished her PhD (Social Sciences, Groningen University, 2003). She is Vice-President for Europe of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD) and associate editor with two international journals. She has been chair of international conferences on disability and diversity and is on supervisory and advisory boards in the wider social sector. Her research focus is on (Family) Quality of Life, Social Justice and Inclusive Research. Her most recent research projects have focussed on the impact of disability on quality of life; inclusion and exclusion within families and communities; and transdisciplinary, arts-based and collaborative research. 
  • Sander Hilberink is a professor Ageing with lifelong disabilities attached to Research Centre Innovations in Care of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. His research focuses on shaping citizenship, sexuality/family formation and ageing with physical disability. He is also a member of the Research Consortium on Sexuality, Intimacy and Disability and the International Consortium of Research on Parents & Parenting with Disabilities. He is an Associate Editor of Frontiers in Neurology and a board member of both Ieder(in) and ZonMw
  • Andries Hiskes is a PhD candidate at the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society, where he works on the intersection between disability studies, comparative literature,  and affect theory. His research examines literature and art in which affective responses are evoked and/or shared by deviant and disabled bodies, focusing on how the artwork is constructed to elicit such responses. Concurrently, through the added emphasis on emotional and affective responses provoked by disabled bodies, his research explores how art may manipulate such responses. As senior lecturer at the department of nursing at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, he teaches narrative medicine, participative healthcare, and disability studies.

Target audience

The Politics of Disablement Summer School is open to researchers, practitioners and students from a range of disciplines, including those who work in fields like sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, literature, philosophy, political science, and social work. It is particularly relevant for those interested in disability studies, social justice, human rights, and diversity and inclusion.

With the Politics of Disablement summer school, we seek to offer an exciting opportunity for scholars and practitioners with different levels of experience and background to engage in critical discussions and debates on disability and politics, drawing on the insights and perspectives of multiple disciplines. By bringing together a diverse range of scholars, the summer school aims to contribute to the ongoing conversation about the politics of disablement, and to inspire new ways of thinking about disability and social justice.

We’re currently in talks with Palgrave Macmillan about a possible edited volume based on the papers/essays submitted to the summer school. We will keep you updated about this development. 

Study load

The summerschool takes place during three days of 3 to max 5 hours per day.  

Costs

Course fee:
Price
€80
Included:
Fee covers
Course + course materials + lunch
Extra information about the fee

The course fee of €80 applies to all participants who attend the course at the venue. 

A discount of  €40 applies to masterstudents, PhD students and participants attending the course online.  The discount can be applied for in the motivation letter.  

 

 

Application

Extra application information

In your short motivation letter you describe: 

  • your name
  • your occupation (researcher, PhD student or otherwise)
  • your affiliation (university or other institution where you might work or study)
  • your theme of research
  • your ideas about contributing to the summerschool (e.g., a short abstract for a research paper, a workshop proposal, or poster presentation). Different formats and proposals are welcomed
  • Please stick to around 400 words. 


For this course you are required to upload the following documents when applying:

Motivation Letter

Contact details

UvH Academie, (+)31 6 48533590. academie@uvh.nl

Registration

Application deadline: 
Registration deadline
15 June 2023