Social Policy and Social Capital: Parents and Exceptionality, 1974-2007

This is a qualitative study into the experiences of parents of disabled children in Iceland in the period 1974-2007. Hardly any formal support was available to these families in 1974.In 2007 the formal support system shaped by social and educational policy reflected almost "the state of the art". The study gives voice to the experiences of parents in seventy five extraordinary families in pursuit of ordinary lives. It explores their access to social capital and its impact. The findings resonate to some extent with less comprehensive studies in the Nordic countries, the Anglo-Saxon world and Northern Europe. The unique contribution of this book is that it specifically lifts the fathers' voices independently of the mothers'; it spans the period of 33 years when the welfare system and inclusive education was put in place; and it uses social capital theory in analysing support, concluding that social capital can be built as well as eroded or destroyed. The book speaks to the field of disability studies, human rights and policy workers and to parents, family and friends of disabled children everywhere.