Abstract
‘Deconstruction’ has influenced some in special education and disability studies. In exploring deconstruction and some of its applications, this chapter focuses on Derrida’s ([1967]/1997) book, Of Grammatology. I examine several attempts to apply deconstruction to disability and special education.
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Key texts
Derrida, J. ([1967]/1976) Of Grammatology Baltimore and London, The Johns Hopkins University Press (Translated from the French by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak).
A good point of entry into Derrida’s earlier work.
Glendinning, S. (2011) Derrida: A Very Short Introduction Oxford, UK and New York, NY, Oxford University Press.
This essay provides introduces some of the key areas explored by Derrida including ‘writing’, ‘ différance ’, and ‘logocentrism’. The author offers more of a defence of Derrida against what he considers unfair comments and less of a critical appraisal of Derrida’s views.
Further reading
Eagleton, T. (2008) Literary Theory: An Introduction (Anniversary Education) Blackwell Publishing Oxford, UK and Malden, MA.
Chapter 4, ‘Post-Structuralism’ provides a coherent reading of some of Derrida’s major concerns and his approach of deconstruction which also manages to be entertaining.
Drolet, M. (Ed.) (2004) The Postmodernism Reader (Foundational Texts) London and New York, Routledge.
It includes Derrida’s review (originally a lecture) of Foucault’s book Madness and Civilisation.
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© 2014 Michael Farrell
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Farrell, M. (2014). Problematizing Meaning: Deconstruction. In: Investigating the Language of Special Education. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137434715_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137434715_7
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-49304-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-43471-5
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