"Varför är du här? Du kan ju inte dansa!" En uppsats om funktionshinder, annorlundaskap och makt

This essay is a qualitative study concerned with questions about disability. I set out from a definition of disability which highlights non-disabled peoples´ participation in making a disabled person ?the Other?. My aim is to contribute to an understanding of the experiences of disabled people as well as problemize the way that normality and disability is socially constructed. The empirical material of the essay consists of qualitative interviews with disabled men and women and the essay is written with a critical perspective. The theoretical framework includes concepts such as normality, social construction and power. These have been analytical tools that I have used in order to analyze the interviews that I have made. With the aid of the theoretical concepts I attempt to question ideals and notions that exist in our society. I also highlight unequal power relations and the importance of treating these as a democratic and political problem