Socio-relational Model of Disability by Carol Thomas and its Significance for Disability Studies

Modeli ometenosti su konceptualni okviri uz pomoć kojih se fenomen ometenosti istražuje i razume. Kao ključni u studijama ometenosti ističu se socijalni i medicinski model. Britanska sociološkinja Carol Thomas je u svojim radovima ponudila kritički osvrt na socijalni model ometenosti, kao i njegovu dopunu kojom je oblikovana nova konceptualizacija ometenosti nazvana socijalno-relacioni model. Nastojeći da prevaziđe isključivost dotadašnjih pristupa, suštinu ometenosti Thomas prepoznaje u zoni odnosa osoba sa i bez oštećenja, tragajući u tom domenu za ključnim činiocima ometenosti. Socijalno-relacioni model Thomas ponudio je perspektivu koja istovremeno uvažava telesne i socijalne aspekte oštećenja i omogućava analizu psiholoških implikacija iskustva oštećenja i ometenosti koja prevazilazi tradicionalne dihotomije medicinskog i socijalnog, zdravog i bolesnog. U ovom preglednom radu će u osnovnim crtama biti prikazani medicinski i socijalni model ometenosti, zatim ključni elementi i pojmovi socijalno-relacionog modela ometenosti iz originalnih publikacija Carol Thomas i drugih autora koji su se na njega oslanjali, kao i diskusija značaja socijalno – relacionog modela za studije ometenosti i srodne discipline.Disability models are conceptual frameworks used to understand and investigate the phenomenon of disability. Social and medical models stand out as key in disability studies. In her works, British sociologist Carol Thomas offered a critical review of the social model of disability and its supplement, which formed a new conceptualization of disability called the social-relational model. Aiming to overcome the exclusivity of previous approaches, Thomas recognizes the essence of disability in the relational area, between persons with and without impairment, where according to her are the key elements of disability. This model offers a perspective that makes room for both the physical and social aspects of impairment and enables the analysis of the psychological implications of the experience of impairment and disability that transcends the traditional dichotomies of medical and social, healthy and diseased. In this overview paper, the medical and social model of disability will be presented in basic terms, followed by the key elements and concepts of the socialrelational model of disability from the original publications of Carol Thomas and other authors who relied on it, as well as a discussion of the importance of the socialrelational model for disability studies and related disciplines