In the US we've spent about 18 months publicly placing our bets on the idea of "change," and at least superficially have supposedly committed to the idea that societal change is possible and responsible. Considering that in American politics talk of change does not imply a yearning for newness, but rather a return to an earlier unadulterated state, might it be more accurate to describe the attempts at our societal restructuring as rehabilitation? Given this as a possible framework, we began to wonder: what is rehabilitation, who structures the process and decides the outcome?
Rehabilitation requires a different type of commitment than other healing practices, like "catharsis" or "reparation," which suggest quick closed circuit events and emphasize the release state as opposed to the efforts along the way. Rehabilitation is engaged and paced: the slow motions of aquatic physical therapy or the sprouts breaking the surface of condemned land manifest the deliberate mental efforts commanded by this process.
In the idealized notion of rehabilitation, the rehabilitated subject is returned to a state prior to the need for treatment. This ignores the build up of time since the disruption. Whereas, the rehabilitated subject is not returned to a prior time, but is recreated in a future world. They are that person plus trauma plus rehabilitation. Regard the painting that restorers have tackled repeatedly, each time adding or scraping a layer in an attempt to bring back some semblance of the original. Or, when a building, which formerly housed a corner bakery, is restored to its historical look and purpose, becoming a charming anachronism of what used to provide the staff of life.
In addition to our neglect of time, another screen before the actuality of rehabilitation is the perceived level of self-determination of the subject, ignoring the interest and influence of external stakeholders. The process of rehabilitation necessitates an administrator, who is part of a system that bears a point of view on the nature of the problem and their desired outcome.
The influence of these "agents," proctoring a particular method of rehabilitation to improve the subject, may well improve him beyond what he ever was, wanted or should have been. The question of who has the authority to determine a successfully rehabilitated state and the bias brought to that decision is a recurring theme in this reader, whether the discussion is about prisoners or the economy. It becomes clear that to apply rehabilitation to a subject is to exercise authority over him, whether it be overt or framed as a cooperation. Compare the treatment of the incarcerated over one living in a halfway house, or the tools of electrodes over exercise to bring functionality to paralyzed muscles. In either the overt or cooperative approach, the treatment model and its ideal outcome is a reflection of the contemporary values held by the treating party, not the subject, who in a compromised state may play a passive role in the determination of his own treatment.
Our intent with this reader is to provide the interested public a chance to investigate various paradigms and instances within the brief history of rehabilitation. We have pulled excerpts from articles, books, newspapers, and other sources across disciplines. The examples cover the economic drivers of physical therapy, rebuilding the confidence of postcolonial societies, and the cleansing of the Great Lakes. Despite the fallibilities described above, the notion of rehabilitation remains an avenue for desired change: requiring engaged participation with the issue, determination of the desired outcome and development of the process by which healing should occur.
This book tells a certain story about rehabilitation and has room to grow. If you have something to add to this, email us your text which will be published in the second edition.
- Pamela Garber and Xenia Pachikov
08. Recovery Not as Easy as U, V, W Gillian Tett
12. History and Silence: Purge and Rehabilitation of Memory in Late Antiquity Charles W. Hedrick
16. Playing Politics with the Romanovs Yuri Zarakhovich
20. From Stunted Child to ‘New Woman’: The Significance of Physical Growth in Late-Nineteenth-Century Medicine and Fiction Lucy Bending
24. Turned into Taxpayers: Paraplegia, Rehabilitation and Sport at Stoke Mandeville, 1944-56 Julie Anderson
28. A Policy Perspective on the United States Rehabilitation System Marvin B. Sussman
32. Robotic Therapy Helps Restore Hand Use After Stroke Steven C. Cramer
34. Rehabilitate or Punish? Etienne Benson
36. Review: The Prison at Philadelphia-Cherry Hill. The Separated System of Penal Discipline: 1829-1913 Charles Snyder
38. Institutional Living and Rehabilitation Charles R. Tittle
40. The Restoration of the Early Italian “Primitives” during the 20th Century: Valuing Art and Its Consequences Cathleen Hoeniger
44. Rehabilitate Old Photos Sarah Frances
46. Fashion and the Now-Time of Renaissance Art Alexander Nagel
48. Crimes of War: Child Soldiers Human Rights Education Initiative
52. The Rehabilitation of Violence and the Violence of Rehabilitation: Fanon and Colonialism Messay Kebede
54. Great Lakes Are Exhaling Toxic Chemicals
Unfortunately, copywrite permissions do not permit us to post the book online. You may acquire one for $10 by contacting us.
info@emptypursepub.com