The making of the activist disabled subject: disability and political activism in English higher education

Peruzzo, Francesca; Raaper, Rille

Abstract

Drawing on a Foucauldian theorisation and an in-depth study with eight disabled student activists in England, this paper explores how persistent marginalisation and ableism in higher education has triggered a wave of activism among disabled students, who, just before the advent of the pandemic, had organised a structured movement, Disabled Students UK. We employ Foucault’s ideas of the care of the self and others to discuss the formation of disabled students as activist subjects fighting discrimination in English higher education, in a moment in which the intersection between inclusive policies and austerity measures exposed the ableism rooted in academic practices. This paper promotes discussion on the nurturing relationship that exists between the individual and the community in constituting disability activism and disabled activists.

Citation

Peruzzo, F., & Raaper, R. (2024). The making of the activist disabled subject: disability and political activism in English higher education. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 45(2), 173-186. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2023.2271406

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 12, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Oct 22, 2023
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Oct 31, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 23, 2025
• Journal: Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education
• Print ISSN: 0159-6306
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-3739
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 173-186
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2023.2271406
• Keywords: Linguistics and Language; Social Sciences (miscellaneous); Education
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1871988