Introduction to the Special Issue: “Self-Determination” as a Social Construct: Cross-cultural Considerations
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Keywords
self determination, disablity studies, Pacific islands
Abstract
This special issue of the Review of Disability Studies is meant to stimulate thinking and dialogue about how self-determination is conceived and promoted by and for people with disabilities, and how the concept and its application might be enhanced to better empower and improve the quality of life of people with disabilities around the world. We decided to devote time and effort to this topic because of our observations that self-determination as typically presented is not a good fit for cultural milieu in Hawaii and across the Pacific region. A likely reason for this lack of fit emerged as we read a large proportion of the many publications on self-determination and people with disabilities: the self-determination concept as typically defined is rooted in the individualistic values common to Western cultures, whereas most residents of Hawaii and other Pacific Islands come from collectivistic cultural backgrounds.
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David Leake, Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa
David Leake obtained both a PhD in anthropology and a Masters of Public Health at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he has worked with the Center on Disability Studies for over 20 years. He currently directs a federally-funded project demonstrating how youth with serious emotional/behavioral disorders can be empowered to envision and achieve their desired futures.
James Skouge, Associate professor, Department of Special Education, University of Hawaii.
James Skouge is a traveler and teacher who has dedicated his career to “giving voice” to children, parents and teachers -- including persons with and without disabilities. Since 1992 he has promoted “digital storytelling” in Hawaii, American Samoa and Micronesia. Currently, Dr. Skouge is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Hawaii.