Disability and systems theory

Authors

  • Oscar Iván Parra Camacho National University of Colombia
  • Verel Elvira Monroy Flores Universidad de la Frontera
  • Alberto Javier Mayorga Rojel Universidad de la Frontera

Abstract

This paper theoretically develops disability in relation to the systems theory proposed by Niklas Luhmann. It also suggests that, although it is a revealing approach, disability, when approached as a social construct, tends to lose sight of the richness of its edges, as well as of the particularities of each case or type of disability. Therefore, it would be necessary to resort to a more plausible interpretation in terms of the complexity that disability implies, thus, it is proposed to retake the Systems Theory as a different way of observing in order to achieve better distinctions, probably with greater depth and precision. In this way, by approaching disability as a second-order observation problem, the possibility of understanding individuals from a complex perspective is opened. In other words, it would be feasible to affirm that there is no univocal way of communicating disability since, from this point of view, there would be several descriptions, as well as diverse observations conditioned by the systems.

Keywords:

Complexity, Disability, Second order observation, Social constellations, Systems theory

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