Pity, disgust, fear, cure, and prevention--all are words that Americans have used to make sense of what today we call intellectual disability. Inventing the Feeble Mind explores the history of this disability from its several identifications over the past 200 years: idiocy, imbecility, feeblemindedness, mental defect, mental deficiency, mental retardation, and most recently intellectual disability. Using institutional records, private correspondence, personal memories, and rare photographs, James Trent argues that the economic vulnerability of intellectually disabled people (and often their families), more than the claims made for their intellectual and social limitations, has shaped meaning, services, and policies in United States history.
Inventing the Feeble Mind explores the history of intellectual disability from its several identifications in the United States over the past 200 years: idiocy, imbecility, feeblemindedness, mental deficiency and defectiveness, mental retardation, and most recently intellectual disability.
Trent contends that the economic vulnerability of mentally retarded people and their families, more than the claims made for their intellectual or social limitations, has determined their institutional treatment. He finds that the focus on technical and usually psychomedical interpretations of mental retardation has led to a general ignorance of the maldistribution of resources, status, and power so evident in the lives of the retarded. Superintendents, social welfare agents, IQ testers, and sterlizers have utilized these psychological and medical paradigms to insure their own social privilege and professional legitimacy. Rather than simply moving "from care to control," state schools have made care an effective and integral part of control. In analyzing the current policy of deinstitutionalization, Trent concludes it has been more successful in dispersing disabled citizens than in integrating them into American communities
He was a veteran of the Greek War of Independence, a fervent abolitionist, and the founder of both the Perkins School for the Blind and the Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-Minded Children. Married to Julia Ward Howe, author of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," he counted among his friends Senator Charles Summer, public school advocate Horace Mann, and poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A committed reformer, Howe believed in the perfectibility of human beings and spoke out in favor of progressive services for disabled Americans. He embraced a notion of manliness that included heroism under fire but also compassion for the underdog and the oppressed. Though hardly a man without flaws and failures, he nevertheless represented the optimism that characterized much of antebellum American reform. The first full-length biography of Howe in more than fifty years, The Manliest Man offers an original view of his personal life, his association with social causes of his time, and his efforts to shape those causes in ways that allowed for the greater inclusion of devalued people in the mainstream of American life. Book jacket.
A native of Boston and a physician by training, Samuel G. Howe (1801-1876) led a remarkable life. He was a veteran of the Greek War of Independence, a fervent abolitionist, and the founder of both the Perkins School for the Blind and the Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-Minded Children. Married to Julia Ward Howe, author of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," he counted among his friends Senator Charles Sumner, public school advocate Horace Mann, and poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Always quick to refer to himself as a liberal, Howe embodied the American Renaissance's faith in the perfectibility of human beings, and he spoke out in favor of progressive services for disabled Americans. A Romantic figure even in his own day, he embraced a notion of manliness that included heroism under fire but also compassion for the underdog and the oppressed. Though hardly a man without flaws and failures, he nevertheless represented the optimism that characterized much of antebellum American reform. The first full-length biography of Samuel G. Howe in more than fifty years, The Manliest Man explores his life through private letters and personal and public documents. It offers an original view of the reformer's personal life, his association with social causes of his time, and his efforts to shape those causes in ways that allowed for the greater inclusion of devalued people in the mainstream of American life.
Inventing the Feeble Mind explores the history of intellectual disability from its several identifications in the United States over the past 200 years: idiocy, imbecility, feeblemindedness, mental deficiency and defectiveness, mental retardation, and most recently intellectual disability.
Pity, disgust, fear, cure, and prevention--all are words that Americans have used to make sense of what today we call intellectual disability. Inventing the Feeble Mind explores the history of this disability from its several identifications over the past 200 years: idiocy, imbecility, feeblemindedness, mental defect, mental deficiency, mental retardation, and most recently intellectual disability. Using institutional records, private correspondence, personal memories, and rare photographs, James Trent argues that the economic vulnerability of intellectually disabled people (and often their families), more than the claims made for their intellectual and social limitations, has shaped meaning, services, and policies in United States history.
He was a veteran of the Greek War of Independence, a fervent abolitionist, and the founder of both the Perkins School for the Blind and the Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-Minded Children. Married to Julia Ward Howe, author of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," he counted among his friends Senator Charles Summer, public school advocate Horace Mann, and poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A committed reformer, Howe believed in the perfectibility of human beings and spoke out in favor of progressive services for disabled Americans. He embraced a notion of manliness that included heroism under fire but also compassion for the underdog and the oppressed. Though hardly a man without flaws and failures, he nevertheless represented the optimism that characterized much of antebellum American reform. The first full-length biography of Howe in more than fifty years, The Manliest Man offers an original view of his personal life, his association with social causes of his time, and his efforts to shape those causes in ways that allowed for the greater inclusion of devalued people in the mainstream of American life. Book jacket.
Conceived in the era of eugenics as a solution to what was termed the “problem of the feeble-minded,” state-operated institutions subjected people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to a life of compulsory incarceration. One of nearly 300 such facilities in the United States, Pennhurst State School and Hospital was initially hailed as a “model institution” but was later revealed to be a nightmare, where medical experimentation and physical and psychological abuse were rampant. At its peak, more than 3,500 residents were confined at Pennhurst, supervised by a staff of fewer than 600. Using a blended narrative of essays and first-person accounts, this history of Pennhurst examines the institution from its founding during an age of Progressive reform to its present-day exploitation as a controversial Halloween attraction. In doing so, it traces a decades-long battle to reform the abhorrent school and hospital and reveals its role as a catalyst for the disability rights movement. Beginning in the 1950s, parent-advocates, social workers, and attorneys joined forces to challenge the dehumanizing conditions at Pennhurst. Their groundbreaking advocacy, accelerated in 1968 by the explosive televised exposé Suffer the Little Children, laid the foundation for lawsuits that transformed American jurisprudence and ended mass institutionalization in the United States. As a result, Pennhurst became a symbolic force in the disability civil rights movement in America and around the world. Extensively researched and featuring the stories of survivors, parents, and advocates, this compelling history will appeal both to those with connections to Pennhurst and to anyone interested in the history of institutionalization and the disability rights movement.
Bill Clinton...Trent Loff...Claudia Schiffer...Dr. Atkins...Kerry Strug...Beastie Boys and many more. If these well known personalities knew the world was ending tomorrow, what would be their last supper? Their meals to die for range from a Texas BBQ to a 12-course meal at a four-star restaurant.
The History attributed to Sebeos is one of the major works of early Armenian historiography. Although anonymous, it was written in the middle of the seventh century, a time when comparable chronicles in Greek and Syriac are sparse. Sebeos traces the fortunes of Armenia in the sixth and seventh centuries within the broader framework of the Byzantine-Sasanian conflict. This book will be of interest to all those involved in the study of Armenia, the Caucasus, the Eastern Roman Empire and the Middle East in late antiquity. It will be of particular value to Islamicists, since Sebeos not only sets the scene for the coming of Islam, but provides the only substantial non-Muslim account of the initial period of expansion.
Acquainted with Grief" is a deeply moving non-fiction Christian book that presents the riveting life story of a Marine Corps veteran who experiences the ravages of childhood trauma, PTSD, and alcoholism. This gripping narrative is a beacon for adults grappling with childhood trauma, painting a vivid picture of its profound and lasting effects. Growing up in a household marred by alcoholism, the author found solace in the structured environment of the Marine Corps, where he was able to channel his frustrations. Dispatched to Vietnam, he faced the horrors of the Quang Nam Province, taking the lives of hundreds of North Vietnamese soldiers while wrestling with the Christian injunction to love one's enemies amidst the carnage of war. The author's experience in jail marked a turning point, where he embraced Christianity. He strove to save himself through the Christian ministry, seeking an escape from the trauma and pain he'd endured. However, a decade later, he suffered a mental breakdown. This setback triggered a 25-year-long spiral into alcoholism, interspersed with three divorces, two bankruptcies, and the haunting shadows of the Iraq War. "Acquainted with Grief" offers guidance on how to help a friend with alcoholism, making it an invaluable resource for those trying to understand and assist loved ones on the difficult road to recovery. For adults confronting childhood trauma, it provides a stark, honest look at the long journey toward healing and redemption. A striking testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the book shows how, in the depths of despair, the author finally surrendered his struggles to the Lord. This surrender marked a crucial transformation, in which he discovered that the grace of God is always available, regardless of one's sorrows or grief. Ultimately, "Acquainted with Grief" illuminates how to practice the presence of God, providing insights on experiencing the peace of God, even in the throes of addiction and trauma. This inspirational narrative encourages readers to trust in God as their strong tower, the shield of faith, and eternal salvation, reaffirming the belief that God will never forsake those who surrender to Him. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking understanding, compassion, and hope amidst personal turmoil. Its compelling narrative reaffirms the power of faith and the enduring capacity for redemption and healing in the face of life's most challenging trials. It is a beacon of hope for those struggling with PTSD, addiction, and the lingering effects of childhood trauma.
James Leo Garrett Jr. has been called "the last of the gentlemen theologians" and "the dean of Southern Baptist theologians." In The Collected Writings of James Leo Garrett Jr., 1950-2015, the reader will find a truly dazzling collection of works that clearly evince the meticulous scholarship, the even-handed treatment, the biblical fidelity, the wide historical breadth, and the honest sincerity that have made the work and person of James Leo Garrett Jr. so esteemed and revered among so many for so long. Volume 7 contains Dr. Garrett's writings on church, state, and religious liberty, writings that arise from his editorship of The Journal of Church and State, from his time as director of the J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor University, and from his many years of academic study of and engagement with these important topics. Spanning sixty-five years and touching on topics from Baptist history, theology, ecclesiology, church history and biography, religious liberty, Roman Catholicism, and the Christian life, The Collected Writings of James Leo Garrett, Jr., 1950-2015 will inform and inspire readers regardless of their religious or denominational affiliations.
Was it a “mercy killing?" Was it an accident? Was it murder? Read the full account of the death of baby Lawrence Noxon and subsequent arrest, trial, and conviction that divided a 1940s small town. Publishers Weekly calls it "an enlightening and discomfiting account of a horrific crime." With no witnesses and destroyed evidence, questions still surround the mysterious death of baby Lawrence Noxon. This the account of the 1940s murder case, arrest, trial, and conviction of John Noxon as well as a story of changing city and state. It’s not every day that a prominent citizen, a highly successful lawyer, no less, is arrested for murder. The case itself drew in newspaper readers from coast to coast, and Lawrence’s death was often characterized as a “mercy killing,” at a time when euthanasia societies were publicly advocating for the selection out of mental defectives from American society. Noxon consistently maintained the electrocution was accidental, although admittedly due to his own negligence but the prosecution was pushing for the death penalty. Based on scientific, or forensic evidence, they recreated some of the lost evidence and called upon university medical faculty, chemists, and electrical engineers to show the death could not have been an accident. The defense, of course, had its own cadre of witnesses from those disciplines to testify just the opposite. Despite the complicated technicalities of the evidence, the jury deliberated only about five hours before finding Noxon guilty of first-degree murder, which, at the time carried an automatic death penalty.
This book systematically analyzes the evidence on four key issues that have divided commentators on the community college: The community college's impact on students, business, and the universities; the factors behind its rise since 1900; the causes of its swift vocationalization after 1960; and what direction the community college should take in the future.
The Index of American Periodical Verse is an important resource for contemporary poetry research, serving as a continuing record of trends in the output of famous and lesser-known poets and the cultural influences they represent. The index includes contemporary poets from the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, as well as other lands, cultures, and times. Continuing the tradition of this helpful reference source, this twenty-ninth annual volume of the Index was produced with the cooperation of 291 participating periodicals; nearly 7,000 entries (6,977) for individual poets and translators and more than 20,000 entries (20,410) for individual poems. A separate index provides access by title or first line.
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