Poverty, Class, and Disability: A Historical, Social, and Political Perspective

Abstract

Although this is a special education publication, in this article I engage the broader topic of creation of social hierarchy.Disability-which is subsumed under the generic construct "losing in stratified relations"-may be somewhat hidden from view.Moreover, for the purpose of clarity of argument, I intentionally oversimplify political positioning by referring to two inclusive sides, "leftists" and "rightists," a framing that challenges the neutrality of most people.Although this may seem to have little relevance to special educators, insights gained from a "big picture" view can shed light on current practice.I use graduation exit ("gateway") exams to show how social class relations are manifest _ in school practice.After deconstructing the negative, I put forward ideas for reform and ask readers to join in a movement to transform hierarchical and excluding relations in school and society.Admittedly, these ideas are utopian, but so as not to drift toward unintended places and so that our daily efforts as professionals and citizens allow progress toward prized goals, an ideal community must be imagined (Anderson, 1983). DOMINATION THROUGH "OTHERING"In response to a lack of understanding of domination processes in intergroup relations, Ericka Apfelbaum (1999), a Jewish refuge from Germany to France during World War II, theorizes about the etiology and functioning of power in shaping activities within groups and determining the relations that evolve between them.She argues that mainstream groups create myths based on human features such as race, ability, competency, gender, or class and try to convince others that only they embody important standards.A binary of insiders and outsiders is created.Outsiders are marked, labeled, branded, and stigmatized by identifying names.Naming groups implies a homogeneity of characteris- tics and outlooks (Shanahan & Jones, 1999) of those within the collectivity who meet the standard and of Others who supposedly do not.The dominant group holds maximum power when the distinction between "us" and "them" is believed to be a fundamental, irreversible dissymmetry in which groups have little in common.Centering one group marginalizes Other groups.If the central group considers itself normal and able, Others become abnormal and disabled.Privileging the center is widespread.Education everywhere has built-in limitations in reaching peripheral

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