寛容社会における障害の受容と排除 : アメリカ合衆国における障害者の歴史に関する再検討

摘要

The purpose of the present paper is to clarify why and how the West, especially the United States of America, historically accepted or rejected people with disabilities, and to bring to light the implications of this history. Schools for both the deaf and the blind, and schools for "idiots" were accepted in American communities in the middle of the 19th century, even if education of those various types of students did not achieve equivalent results. However, "the feeble-minded" came to be excluded from American communities at the end of the 19th century because their behavior was different from others, and because of their lack of intelligence. Early in the 20th century, they came to be considered as a social menace, because of their antisocial acts which scientific research appeared to show were a consequence of their mental disabilities. It was on modern principles such as the right to education that "the feeble-minded" came to be included in educational programs; another reason for their inclusion is that it was contrary to modern ideals that their behavior would be rejected. Modern society has arbitrarily accepted those with some types of disability and rejected those with others, according to the current cultural and social context. Can postmodern society, as the successor of modern society, provide people with mental retardation (the successors of "the feeble-minded") full enjoyment of a normal life style in principle?