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In Search of Better Angels

J. David Smith
€39.99
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Special Education
Special Education/Special Needs
Special EducationSpecial Needs
Spiritual & Moral Education
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Product details

  • ISBN 9780761938415
  • Weight: 340g
  • Dimensions: 177 x 254mm
  • Publication Date: 18 Jun 2003
  • Publisher: SAGE Publications Inc
  • Publication City/Country: US
  • Product Form: Paperback
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Description

"We must first understand others before we can care about them and we must care about them before we can love them. In this book, J. David Smith takes us on a fascinating journey from understanding to caring to love."
Leonard O. Pellicer, Dean
University of La Verne, La Verne, CA

Do children and adults with disabilities enrich our lives? Far more than most people imagine.

In Search of Better Angels is a testament to the value of individuals with disabilities and the value that society could derive from being more welcoming to and inclusive of them. The reward is the powerful humanizing influence that they can have on others—even some of the most hardened people among us.

Colorful, real-life examples illustrate how a disability can be a valuable human attribute, a powerful source of compassion from which everyone can benefit.

What are the challenges that face us as we strive for a more inclusive society? What are the values that should guide us in our efforts? Smith approaches these questions by examining his own experience and other unique perspectives:

  • Meet the children and adults with disabilities who have touched his own life
  • Consider what science—and pseudoscience—has said about disability
  • View disability through the lens of history and literature

The result is a compelling case for understanding and celebrating human diversity. Smith asks us to summon the "better angels" of our character and affirm our commitment to a society based on equality and democracy.
About J. David Smith
J. David Smith is Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor at the University of Virginia′s College at Wise. He earned both baccalaureate and graduate degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University. He was awarded a second master′s degree and his doctorate from Columbia University. His professional experience includes a work as a public school teacher and as a counselor. He and his wife, Joyce, served two years in Jamaica working as Peace Corps volunteers. Before coming to The University of Virginia′s College at Wise as Provost, he served as Dean of the School of Education and Human Services at Longwood University. He also served as Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of South Carolina. He began his higher education career at Lynchburg College. Smith has made numerous invited presentations to national and international audiences and regularly contributes to the professional literature on education, human services, and public policy through journal articles. He is the author of ten books. One of the integrating themes of his research and writing has been a concern for the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. Smith has devoted much of his scholarship to the study of the history of eugenics and its impact on social and educational policy, and he has also been active in addressing contemporary problems and issues in education.

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