| CODE | DBS5011 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Disability, Poverty and Social Exclusion | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Disability Studies | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit focuses on how the cumulative effect of higher living costs, reduced earnings opportunities, other societal discriminatory barriers, and inadequate policy responses, produces three fundamental problems for disabled people: vulnerability to poverty and material deprivation; a life of self-denial and reduced opportunities; consequential inequity in all sectors of community life. Even when disabled people do not experience marked social exclusion, the opportunities to fully exercise their rights and responsibilities as active citizens are significantly compromised. Article 28 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRDP) recognises “the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions” and obliges signatory members to “take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realization of this right without discrimination on the basis of disability”. This study-unit provides students with a thorough examination of this right, which lies at the heart of disability studies. It is intended to foster a critical awareness and knowledge of current trends and issues, conceptual and methodological issues, and policy responses at community, national, European and global levels. In addition to the analysis of comparative data in a number of EU countries, central to this study-unit are the voices of disabled people and their personal narratives about how the complex relationship between impairment and poverty shapes their disability, and their ideas and proposals on community response, policies and services that can secure them full active citizenship. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit provides students with the knowledge and skills required to understand competing explanations of the causes and consequences of poverty and social exclusion, focused on how economic deprivation moulds every aspect of the lives of disabled people and their families. In particular, the study-unit aims to: - Help students develop a critical understanding of different conceptual approaches to poverty and social exclusion, and their causes and consequences; - Equip students with the knowhow and competences of different measurement approaches in the field, and the strengths and limitations of these approaches; - Present students with opportunities to learn from the stories of disabled people and living everyday life on a low income; - Enable students to identify diverse community and policy approaches effective in alleviating poverty and preventing social exclusion. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain different conceptualisations of poverty, inequality and wealth, and social exclusion, and the underlying political, interests and value systems; -Demonstrate a critical understanding, through debate and assessment, of competing perspectives on poverty, inequality and wealth, social exclusion and social rights; - Articulate a historical and geographical explanation of variations in poverty and social exclusion, with reference to disabled people; - Recognise the complex social structures that contribute to disabled people being at a disproportionate and higher risk of poverty, nationally and globally; -Interpret links between poverty and the lifecourse, demonstrating understanding of the intergenerational transmission of poverty, and the intersection of disability, the feminisation of poverty, and ethnicity; - Identify actions taken at national and European level to alleviate poverty, while understanding the impact of different sectoral policies upon poverty levels, with particular reference to disabled people; - Elucidate and expound EU-SILC data related to poverty, material deprivation, and social exclusion, particularly in the story on the lives of disabled people exposed by the data, demonstrating competence in access to, and use of, other relevant statistics and indicators. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Examine and explain patterns and relationships in the genesis of poverty and social exclusion in the lives of disabled people; - Express opinions on causes and consequences of poverty and social exclusion in the lives of disabled people and their families; - Interpret statistical information on poverty and social exclusion, and use the information to explain the close link between poverty and disability; - Critically analyse the effectiveness of different policy measures, in particular social security benefits and personalised social services, in supporting disabled people in the full exercise of active citizenship; - Conduct research and develop policies and plans that can contribute to breaking the link between poverty and disability promote full and active citizenship for disabled people. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Alcock, P. (2006). Understanding poverty (3rd ed). Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. - Beresford, P., Green, D., Lister, R., & Woodard, K. (1999). Poverty first hand: Poor people speak for themselves. London, UK: Child Poverty Action Group. - Bryne, D. (2005). Social exclusion (2nd ed.). Berkshire, EN: Open University Press. - Halvorsen, R., Hvinden, B., Beadle-Brown, J., Biggeri, M., Tøssebro, J., & Waldschmidt, A. (Eds.). (2018). Understanding the lived experiences of persons with disabilities in nine countries: Active citizenship and disability in Europe, Volume 2. New York, NY: Routledge. - Halvorsen, R., Hvinden, B., Bickenbach, J., Ferri, D., & Guillén Rodriguez, A. M. (Eds.). (2017). The changing disability policy system: Active citizenship and disability in Europe Volume 1. London, UK: Routledge. - Hills, J., Le Grand, J., & Piachaud, D. (Eds.) (2002). Understanding social exclusion. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. - Lister, R. (2004). Poverty. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. - Power, A., Lord, J. E., & deFranco, A. S. (2014). Active citizenship and disability: Implementing the personalisation of support. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. - Ridge, T., & Wright, S. (Eds). (2008). Understanding inequality, poverty and wealth. Bristol, UK, Policy Press. - Saunders, P. (2006). The costs of disability and the incidence of poverty. Social Policy Research Centre, Discussion Paper 147. Sydney: University of New South Wales, SPRC. [available from https://www.arts.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/DP147.pdf] - Spicker, P. (2007). The idea of poverty. Bristol, UK: The Policy Press. - Tinson, A., Aldridge, H., Born, T. B., & Huges, C. (2016). Disability and poverty: Why disability must be at the centre of poverty reduction. York, EN: NPI/Joseph Rowntree Foundation. [available from https://www.npi.org.uk/files/3414/7087/2429/Disability_and_poverty_MAIN_REPORT_FINAL.pdf] Supplementary Readings: - Batavia, A. I., & Beaulaurier, R. L. (2001). The financial vulnerability of people with disability: Assessing poverty risks. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 28(1), 139-162. - Beresford, P. (1996). Poverty and disabled people: Challenging dominant debates and policies. Disability & Society, 11(4), 553-568. DOI: 10.1080/09687599627598. - Briant, E., Watson, N., & Philo, G. (2013). Reporting disability in the age of austerity: The changing face of media representation of disability and disabled people in the United Kingdom and the creation of new ‘folk devils’. Disability & Society, 28(6), 874-889. - Hauben, H., Coucheir, M., Spooren, J., McAnaney, D., & Delfosse, C. (2012). Assessing the impact of European governments’ austerity plans on the rights of people with disabilities. Brussels: European Foundation Centre. - Heslop, P. (2013). Disabled people and their relationship with poverty. PSE, UK: Working Paper – Methods Series No. 23. - Hirsch, D., & Hill, K. (2016). The additional cost of disability: A new measure and its application to sensory impairment. Disability & Society, 31(7), 897-913. - Hughes, C., & Avoke, S. K. (2010). The elephant in the room: Poverty, disability, and employment. Research & Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 35(1-2), 5–14. - Jeon, Y. H., Essue, B., Jan, S., Wells, R., & Whitworth, J. A. (2009). Economic hardship associated with managing chronic illness: A qualitative inquiry. BMC Health Services Research, 9(1), 182-192. doi:10.1186/1472-6963-9-182 - Palmer, M. (2011). Disability and poverty: A conceptual review. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 21(4), 210-218. DOI: 10.1177/1044207310389333 - Sandling, I. (1992). Social networks: A comparison between two disabled families - in Malta and in Sweden. Malmö: Department of Educational and Psychological Research, Malmö School of Education. - Sen, A. K. (2004, November). Disability and justice. In Disability and Inclusive Development Conference, keynote speech, World Bank. Washington, DC. - Spicker, P. (2007). Definitions of poverty: Twelve clusters of meaning. In P. Spicker, S. A. Leguizamón, & D. Gordon (Eds.), Poverty: An international glossary (2nd ed.) (pp. 229-243). London, UK; Zed Books. - Townsend, P. (1987). Deprivation. Journal of Social Policy, 16(2), 125-46. - Zaidi, A., & Burchardt, T. (2005). Comparing incomes when needs differ: Equivalisation for the extra costs of disability in the UK. Review of Income and Wealth, 51(1), 89-114. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Edgar Galea Curmi |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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