Bolstering the Greatness of the Homeland: Productivity, Disability and Medicine in Franco's Spain, 1938-1966

摘要

The Spanish Civil War ended in 1939 with the victory of the rebel forces led by General Franco, beginning a dictatorship that combined: the establishment of a militarised state to guarantee order; the charismatic authority of the head of state; an enormous bureaucratic apparatus to legitimise its legality; and a strict defence of tradition. In this paper we analyse the way in which disability and rehabilitation formed part of this political programme between the years 1938 and 1966. We highlight the perceived dangers posed by disability and how it was moulded to fit the fundamental principles and goals of the Franco regime. We attempt also to show how these policies helped foster a culture of rehabilitation in Spain which contributed to changing attitudes towards the perception of disabled people.