Bioethics, Disability & Community

Course Description

Most people will experience disability at some point in their lives, and for some it will shape their social, personal, family, educational, and employment experiences. Viewpoints on disabilities which have emerged in policy and the broader culture have been explicitly challenged by emerging communities of people with disabilities who seek to speak for themselves and claim full inclusion in society. In this context, bioethicists and disability scholars have found points of both common cause and stark disagreement over issues such as neonatal and end-of-life care, the value and values inherent medical decisions and their outcomes. These bioethical debates occur in the context of debates over the rights of individuals with disabilities to self-determination, accommodations for work and schooling, and the potential for people with disabilities to make unique contributions because of–rather than despite–their disabilities. This course will consider major debates in bioethics in light of recent scholarship in disability studies, drawing on perspectives from philosophy, literature and narrative, history, and sociology. 3 credits Grading Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)

Code

HCB 511

Credits

3

Subject

HCB

Programs That Include This Course

• Master's Master of Arts in Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care & Bioethics