Papers by Nilika Mehrotra
Abstract
Intellectual disability is one of the least researched areas in social science enquiry.... more Abstract
Intellectual disability is one of the least researched areas in social science enquiry. This
paper traces the complex interplay between the concepts of intellectual disability, gender
and personhood. It outlines the socio-historical and cross-cultural variability of
intellectual disability and its connections with class, urbanisation and modernisation.
Based on ethnographic material with the disabled in Delhi and the neighbouring state of
Haryana, it presents case studies of two NGOs working with the intellectually disabled,
namely, Arpan, a school for the mentally retarded in Rohtak, Haryana and Action for
Autism in New Delhi. It engages specifically with the notion of masculinity and the
manner in which the intellectually disabled are feminised and infantilised. An attempt is
made to understand how disabled individuals and their families seek social spaces for
themselves and negotiate the social compulsions for ‘normalcy’ and competent
adulthood.
This paper argues that disability is gendered, culturally constituted and socially negotiated. It... more This paper argues that disability is gendered, culturally constituted and socially negotiated. It explores the nature and form of disability afflicting the individual and social life of women in rural Haryana, in terms of both physical and mental parameters. It describes the community and the family strategies for supporting disabled women in negotiating family, work, economy and society. It also highlights the social effects of physical disability on various stages of their life cycle.
Teaching Documents by Nilika Mehrotra
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Papers by Nilika Mehrotra
Intellectual disability is one of the least researched areas in social science enquiry. This
paper traces the complex interplay between the concepts of intellectual disability, gender
and personhood. It outlines the socio-historical and cross-cultural variability of
intellectual disability and its connections with class, urbanisation and modernisation.
Based on ethnographic material with the disabled in Delhi and the neighbouring state of
Haryana, it presents case studies of two NGOs working with the intellectually disabled,
namely, Arpan, a school for the mentally retarded in Rohtak, Haryana and Action for
Autism in New Delhi. It engages specifically with the notion of masculinity and the
manner in which the intellectually disabled are feminised and infantilised. An attempt is
made to understand how disabled individuals and their families seek social spaces for
themselves and negotiate the social compulsions for ‘normalcy’ and competent
adulthood.
Teaching Documents by Nilika Mehrotra
Intellectual disability is one of the least researched areas in social science enquiry. This
paper traces the complex interplay between the concepts of intellectual disability, gender
and personhood. It outlines the socio-historical and cross-cultural variability of
intellectual disability and its connections with class, urbanisation and modernisation.
Based on ethnographic material with the disabled in Delhi and the neighbouring state of
Haryana, it presents case studies of two NGOs working with the intellectually disabled,
namely, Arpan, a school for the mentally retarded in Rohtak, Haryana and Action for
Autism in New Delhi. It engages specifically with the notion of masculinity and the
manner in which the intellectually disabled are feminised and infantilised. An attempt is
made to understand how disabled individuals and their families seek social spaces for
themselves and negotiate the social compulsions for ‘normalcy’ and competent
adulthood.