Description
Book SynopsisDAN GOODLEY draws on two decades of research and writing and weaves personal stories, scholarly literature, social media and other cultural narratives together with concepts from the interdisciplinary field of disability studies. His argument is simple: disability invites great insight into the wider project of understanding the human condition. Goodley argues that the study of disability is of great importance in its own right but also has much to offer us all in considering what it means to be human in the 21st Century. Chapters address questions such as 'who's allowed to be human?'; 'are human beings dependent?'; and 'what does it mean to be human in the digital age?' and respond to these questions in ways that get us thinking about how we might productively engage with, listen to and understand one another.
Trade Review'Dan Goodley is one of the most original, opinionated, thoughtful writers in all of disability studies. I can’t think of anyone better to introduce you to disability, and to explain why thinking about disability makes us better at thinking about humanity.' -- Tom Shakespeare
'This social theory text is quite a page-turner. In a skillful balancing act, it combines academic scholarship with vivid accounts of lived experience. Insightful, but also provocative, compassionate and witty in equal measure, Goodley’s narrative engages productively with multiple interdisciplinary fields of critical theory, making for compelling reading as it goes. It positions disability as a process-oriented indicator of shared concerns and emergent trends in contemporary discussions about being human and becoming posthuman. Most of all, it argues for a relational ethics towards humans, nonhumans, animals and machines – a passionate call for community in these turbulent times.' -- Rosi Braidotti
Table of ContentsChapter 1. What brings us to disability and other human questions? Chapter 2. Who’s allowed to be human? Chapter 3. What is human desire? Chapter 4. Are human beings dependent? Chapter 5. Are we able to be human? Chapter 6. What does it mean to be human in the digital age?
