Preface
In 1984, I wrote an article on Interdependence for the Journal of Brain Injury Rehabilitation. It was an invited piece and I pulled it from presentations I was giving at that time on the medical model. The thesis of these presentations was controversial – that the medical, treatment model can lead to ill effects on some patients and their families and can skew how society not only sees, but ultimately treats people with disabilities.
This article, and my ensuing presentations that surrounded it, were based on simple cultural and sociological concepts – that people can be stereotyped and then engulfed in these stereotypes until they are swallowed by them. Then not only does the world see them through the popularly accepted lens, but that the actual people with the difference begin to see themselves this same way. Sociologists call it “Role Expectation Theory.”
As I think back now on this era, there was an interesting tension when I presented on this concept. Often professionals in the medical/rehabilitation world became defensive and angry. Many approached me after talks and argued against my thesis. Many said: “I am not being defensive, but….” And then proceed to be fully defensive of what they perceived to be a criticism of their work.
But on the other side, individuals with disabilities and their families came to life during these same presentations. These folks not only got it, but in a way, found a renewed hope in their situation. It wasn’t that I was giving them hope, as much as it was for once they were hearing a clear assertion that they were not the problem.
This notion of the “problem” is a critical thrust of the The Essence of Interdependence. That is, people with disabilities (or any other type of difference that can lead to marginalization) are really not the problem. Certainly, many people with disabilities have problems, but it is not their disability (or difference) that is the key feature leading to the realities of their problems.
Rather, the problem is how typical people in the community come to see and know people with disabilities. Consider this, if you encounter a person who is different from you, and only see their difference, most people will back away and only relate to that person from the image they have about their difference. This is the basis for “role expectation theory.”
Now this point is a seminal one to the thesis of Interdependence. All people have differences, deficits, problems, struggles and things they can not do. Yet many of these same people are successful in life and find much of the fruits that life offers. Equally, there are very gifted and tremendously talented people, who struggle endlessly. Why is this? One would think that if you can fix or change their problem, all should be well. But for many people it does not work like that.
Certainly there is no magic wand that can lead to happiness and life satisfaction, but there is, by all accounts in the literature, a step stone to these things – and that is when people see each others’ similarities and begin to build bridges to relationships. Sociologists call these relationships “social capital” and have come to discover that it is clearly potent. Researchers now know that both the quantity and quality of one’s social capital is not only tied to their happiness, but their healthfulness as well. There are even now studies that show conclusively that people with deep social capital are not only happier, but healthier (have less sick days) than those who are more socially isolated. One renowned researcher even concludes that social capital “prevents” illness by boosting one’s immune system.
It is our contention that Interdependence is all about social capital – how it develops, how it is sustained. Interdependence maintains that people are better together, and collectively, communities are better when people are bonded and see each other’s relevance, similarities and connectedness.
Since this early article in 1984, the concept and thesis of Interdependence has been evolved and developed. In a number of books, articles and presentations, I have looked at not just Interdependence, but the notions of culture, community, social capital, change, advocacy and leadership. We have not only written about these things, but in this same time span have worked with countless individuals with disabilities through my agency, UCP/CLASS of Pittsburgh putting these concepts and theories to the test.
Although these concepts have grown and developed over time, one thing has remained the same – that is the hope and positive feelings that people with disabilities and their families experience when they learn more about Interdependence.
We can get better as a society. We can grow, develop and evolve – but only if we find our similarities. So read on, and find yourself in others.
Al Condeluci
June, 2007
