01192nas a2200181   4500000000100000008004100001653001500042653001500057653001400072653001200086100001300098245003100111300001100142490000700153050001500160520082100175022001400996       2016                            d10aInequality10aImpairment10adiagnosis10aCulture1 aSherry M00aA sociology of impairment.  a729-440 v31  aSHERRY20163 a<p>Impairment has a ubiquitous and troublesome position within disability studies. The absence of an effective theoretical understanding of impairment has been a major problem for the field. One way out of this impasse is to situate impairment sociologically. By regarding impairment as a thoroughly social dynamic, and examining it though a sociological lens, it is possible to develop a richer understanding of the experiences, politics, and identities of disabled people. Some of the key elements of a sociology of impairment include: using a socially-embedded phenomenology; exploring the social creation of impairment through inequality; deconstructing the cultural construction of impairment; critically examining diagnosis; and analyzing the personal and political significance of impairment identities.</p>
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