Social Consequences of Amputation: the Role of Prostheses in (De)construction of Disability".

The paper is devoted to the social consequences of amputation and the role of prostheses in (de)construction of disability. Subject of research are strategies of social adaptation specific to amputees. Tasks:1. Describe the main approaches to the definition of disability;2. Formulate theoretical basis of disability as abnormality;3. Identify opportunities for sociological interpretations of the prosthesis concept;4. Describe the stages of amputee transformation into disabled;5. Define strategies of social adaptation specific to amputees.Scientists describe several approaches to the definition of disability. First, traditional, defined in terms of the limited capacity of the health of the individual and is often named as the medical model of disability. The second, named as the social model of disability, indicates social constructedness of disability and its discriminatory nature. The first approach was criticized by representatives of the social sciences, because objectified category of disability, while the second was the basis of social-constructionist approach to research disability.Representatives of this approach indicate that disability is often defined as an abnormal condition of the person only because it is typical for a smaller part of the population. The constructed environment of existence of human-oriented needs of the majority, makes disabled people whose needs are not adapted to this environment. Hence disability can be considered as a state of disadaptation. At the same time overcoming this disadaptation possible either due to changes in social institutions themselves, discriminate against persons with disabilities, or by normalizing the disabled, for example, by means of various technical devices.As part of this work has been realized an empirical study, in which a series of in-depth interviews with disabled people undergoing surgery for lower limb amputation and prosthetic benefit. This category of persons with disabilities is the most numerous of all amputees and its representatives more often than with other types of disabilities amputations use prosthetic devices. Analysis of the interviews suggests that in the case of amputation prostheses use has ambiguous social consequences. Prosthesis means normalization amputees, i.e. person’s transformation aimed for adaptation to the existing norms in respect of the form and abilities of the human body. This allows amputees to avoid social exclusion and maintain their normal lifestyle. However, at the same time the practice of prosthetics saves social institution disability, as it implies the transformation of the amputee, and not the social preconditions that make amputees disabled.Hence the conclusion that the very practice of prosthetics can not unambiguously be regarded only in terms of assistance to physically handicapped people. It is also a means of preservation and reproduction of certain social order.