LE3 .A278 1990

1990

Regan, Tom

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

Sociology

Sociology

The Normalization ideology in the field of mental retardation is critiqued theoretically, practically and historically. Ethnographic data were gathered in a group home for persons with mental handicaps and from historical sources. The data show that the Normalization principle is not achieving its goals. In fact, the antithesis (denormalization) was found to be the typical pattern of behavior . The development of the social creation of mental retardation is analysed at the level of ideology . The Normalization principle was found to have several weaknesses linked to its inability to abandon historical roots in curative ideology extending back to the beginning of the nineteenth century . It was concluded that the nineteenth century curative ideology and the modern Normalization principle have tried unsuccessfully to use human science to integrate persons with mental handicaps into society . A critical theory of deviance and normality were found to be essential to understanding the theoretical difficulties inherent in Normalization.

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