EST531: Analyzing Deficit, Normalization, and Neoliberalism

This assignment explores the concepts of deficit, normalization, and neoliberalism within the context of education, particularly in relation to special education and inclusive practices. The 'deficit model' is defined as focusing on students' weaknesses, while normalization emphasizes providing equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities to live as normally as possible. Neoliberalism's influence on education, promoting individual freedom and market-driven approaches, is also examined. The essay discusses social and cultural capital, highlighting their importance in education and their relationship to inclusive education systems. It contrasts the deficit model with inclusive education, emphasizing the need to understand students' needs and provide appropriate educational approaches. The essay also references key literature to support the arguments presented, including works by Valencia, Cohen & Gothelf, Raskoff, Savage, and UNESCO.

Deficit- The word deficit refers to lack or shortage — the ‘deficit model' of learning usually
related with special education. In spite of focusing on the strengths, it focuses on the
weaknesses of a student. As per this theory, students may not perform well in school because
of few reasons like learning disability, emotional-behaviour disorder, cognitive impairment,
etc. (Valencia, 1997). Besides it, cultural, linguistic and social nature of home environments
also does not allow students to perform well in schools. That is why ‘deficit model' mainly
focuses on the area of weakness of a student and identify it first. And then it explains what
the student needs to learn to overcome his or her deficiency. Though for average students,
this deficiency is quite negligible, for autistic or physically disabled students, this deficiency
can be dramatic.
Example: Many students read a little while they are at home. This results in the lack of their
vocabulary, and for that reason, they may not do well in school examinations. This is an
example of cultural deficiency.
Normalisation- The word ‘normal' is itself a little bit tricky to explain. The term ‘normality' is
a relative term, and it depends on many factors like cultural, situational, time, place, etc. A
thing which is considered to be ‘normal’ in a particular place with a specific cultural aspect,
can be regarded as ‘abnormal' in somewhere else with a different cultural approach. The
normalization concept has been formed in the area of special education policies.
First view of Normalization: The normalization theory accepts that some people have
disabilities. But in spite of their disabilities, they should get the equal treatment, same
condition which is offered to other citizens without any disabilities. It contains the rhythm of
treating everyone equal in daily lifestyle and social aspects. It states that every student with or
without any disability will get the same type of education and upbringing (Cohen & Gothelf,

1988). The main aim of the normalization theory was to integrate the so-called ‘abnormal' or
‘disabled' persons to a broader community of people, with the normal form of society.
second view of Normalization: The other aspect of normalization developed from the first
view and an updated form of it. It is mainly inspired by the Salamanca Statement of
Inclusion. The first view of normalization states that every person irrespective of physical or
mental differences should get equal facility or lead the same lifestyle. Second view of
normalization accepts the diversity of people. It states that our circumstantial, cultural,
sociological and other external setups need to be transformed in such a way that every person
can feel free to coordinate with. In other sense, we need to make our society in such a way
that it accepts diversity of people and opinions, value them so that everyone can feel normal
and lead their life of choice. This form of interpretation is not much different from the first
form of normalization; the only difference is in the implementation of the idea of
normalization.
Social and cultural capital: The concept of social capital is first coined by famous
sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. It refers to the economic resources which a person gains from
being part of a sociological structure which includes social relationships, group memberships,
etc.
The term ‘cultural capital' is also coined by Bourdieu. It refers to the non-economic resources
which an individual gains from social relationships and other experiences. Cultural capital
empowers social mobility. Knowledge, skill, education, these are the examples of cultural
capital (Raskoff, 2014).
Both social and cultural capital have values in our life. People start building these things from
their childhood. When a child goes to school, he generates the potential to construct both
social and cultural capital.

Neoliberalism: The term ‘Neoliberalism’ refers to ‘new liberalism’, which was first used by
Alexander Rustow, a German economist (Savage, 2017). It is a political-economic theory
which suggests that the welfare of humans can only be done by liberating individual
entrepreneurial freedom and skills within an institutional framework while maintaining the
values of the private property rights, free markets, and free trade. And the state and the
government should preserve these rights. If there is no market, then the state should create
market and demands. The role of the government should be more interventionist to regulate
markets and societies.
Relation to Inclusion/exclusion:
The term Inclusion and Exclusion are also related to special education. Inclusion is a form of
education where students with special needs can share the same classroom and can spend
maximum time with non-special students. This gives special needs students a feeling of being
same with others. The motto of this system is to provide special students with the scope of
being socially interacted with no special students by allotting same classroom and
environment ("What is Special Education? – Masters in Special Education Degree Program
Guide", 2019).
Exclusion is also a form of education which separates individuals and focuses on one-on-one
instruction method. This gives special needs student individual attention to make them
perform well in a specific category which is different from the typical school environment.
Though the concept of inclusion rejects the usage of a special school, still it provides special
classes for special needs students in some cases where it needed. A normal school with an
inclusive orientation has- i) discriminatory attitude, ii) creates welcoming communities for
better representation of inclusion, and iii) builds a society of inclusion where everyone can
get the same type of education (UNESCO,1994).

The term ‘Normalization' is a part of the inclusive education technique. Normalization theory
allows students of all kind to get an education while being in the same page. It supports
mixed classroom where special needs and non special needs student can get equal attention
and education, which is a key concept of the inclusive education system.
In other sense, ‘deficit model’ can easily correlate with the exclusion education system.
Deficit model supports one on one training and points out the weaknesses of students. There
are several reasons for which a special need student may not perform well in a particular
category for which they may need ‘deficit model'. The form of exclusion gives the
opportunity to segregate students according to their weaknesses and teach them separately.
Social and cultural capital is a form which can be easily integrated with the inclusive
education system and hardly connect with exclusion. In order to choose the right education
system for children or special needs students, we first need to understand their mental and
sociological structure. We should provide them with that type of education where the student
can grab the most of it.

References:
Cohen, S., & Gothelf, C. (1988). A Preservice Training Curriculum for Administrators for
Community-Based Residential Programs Service People with Developmental
Disabilities. NY: City University of New York, Hunter College.
Raskoff, S. (2014). Social and Cultural Capital at School. Retrieved 27 August 2019, from
https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2014/11/social-and-cultural-capital-at-
school.html
Savage, G. (2017). Neoliberalism, education and curriculum. Retrieved 26 August 2019,
from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320069681_Neoliberalism_education_and_
curriculum
UNESCO, (1994). Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Educational
Needs. Paris: United Nations.
Valencia, R. (1997). The Evolution of Deficit Thinking; Educational Thought and
Practice (1st ed.). London: Routledge.
What is Special Education? – Masters in Special Education Degree Program Guide. (2019).
Retrieved 27 August 2019, from https://www.masters-in-special-education.com/what-
is-special-education/