Disability Studies and the Classical Body: The Forgotten Other

This book explores the ways in which the ancient Greco-Roman world, classical reception, and disability studies can be combined to reexamine and reimagine traditional themes. It argues that disability and disabled people have been overlooked in Classics and the Humanities, and provides approaches and case studies to demonstrate the intellectual value of engaging with disability studies as classicists. The book is divided into four parts, exploring different aspects of disability in the ancient world and its reception. It will appeal to classicists, medical humanities scholars, sensory studies researchers, and anyone interested in the wider tension between representation and reality in ancient contexts.

Format: Hardback
Length: 274 pages
Publication date: 14 May 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book explores a range of approaches that reassess and reimagine traditional themes in the Greco-Roman world, classical reception, and disability studies. It argues that disability and disabled people have been overlooked in these fields, constituting the "forgotten other" within the humanities more broadly. Beyond the moral imperative of addressing this neglect, the book offers valuable insights into the intellectual value of engaging with disability studies as classicists and exploring the classical legacy in the medical humanities.

The book is organized into four parts:

Part 1: Communicating and Controlling Impairment, Illness, and Pain

Chapter 1: Disability and the Medical Humanities
Chapter 2: Narrative Voice and Disability in Classical Literature
Chapter 3: Disability and the Body in Ancient Art and Archaeology

Part 2: Using, Creating, and Showcasing Disability Supports and Services

Chapter 4: Accessible Classics: Engaging with Disability in Classical Education
Chapter 5: Disability Support Services in the Ancient World
Chapter 6: Disability and the Museum Experience

Part 3: Real Bodies and Retrieving Senses: Disability in the Ritual Record

Chapter 7: Disability and Ritual Practice in the Ancient World
Chapter 8: Disability and Sensory Experience in Classical Literature and Art

Part 4: Classical Reception as the Gateway between Classics and Disability Studies

Chapter 9: Disability and the Reception of Classical Literature
Chapter 10: Reinterpreting Classic Case Studies through the Lens of Disability Studies
Chapter 11: The Parthenon and Disability Studies

This book is designed for classicists interested in the history of disabled people in the Greco-Roman world and in how modern disability studies can provide new insights and interpretations of historic case studies. It will also be of interest to scholars working in medical humanities, sensory studies, museum studies, and those exploring the broader tension between representation and reality in ancient contexts. The book's interdisciplinary approach makes it accessible to a wide audience, appealing to students, scholars, and anyone with an interest in the intersection of history, culture, and disability.

Weight: 572g
Dimension: 161 x 241 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367221959