Argument Analysis of “Defining Mental Disability” Defining mental disability is not, under any circumstances, an easy task. One wants to be politically correct, but without actually going through life every day with a disability, how can one even start to define it? One cannot. Margaret Price tackles this issue through thoroughly exploring the different definitions of disability in her article, “Defining Mental Disability.” Through her use of argumentative strategies as well as structural techniques, Price constructs an argument that is both credible and intriguing. Margaret Price, a professor at Spelman College, starts her article off by listing the many definitions of mental disability. She then explores each definition separately.
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Not only is she is a professor at Spelman College, but she is also a distinguished author on the topic of disability studies and has previously studied rhetoric. Thus, she knows what she is talking about when it comes to the definitions of mental disabilities. That being said, she also has a little bit of a bias because she herself is disabled. This can be shown in her initial rejection of the term ‘survivor’ due to her past experiences with being disabled (299). She uses a very scholarly tone, which is portrayed in her diction. She uses words like “neuroatypical” and “psychosocial” that many people don’t know the definition of (303, 304). Although scholarly, her tone can also be seen as approachable through her use of pathos and common phrases such as “crazy girl” and “healthy as a horse” (305). Through her tone and experiences, one can truly see that Margaret Price is not only a credible author, but also an intriguing …show more content…
Price’s purpose for writing this article is to inform her audience about the different definitions of disability and also to rework the definition itself. Her main argument is that there are many words one can use to describe “impairments of the mind”, but there is not one correct word to use to describe them (298). One must acknowledge the different definitions and decipher which one fits to the situation at hand. However, the definition that a person chooses must be more inclusive and expressive of individuality. She gives the readers about seven words to choose from when defining mental disability and gives examples as to how those words can be used. Overall, Price just wants her audience to understand the different words for disability. Her intended audience is anyone who is confused by the many terms for disability. Basically, anyone interested in the field of disability studies or anyone who is mislabeling the term. The audience doesn’t have to know much about the topic because Price does a phenomenal job of explaining the terms she uses. Therefore, the situation gives the reader a glance into the credibility and capacity of this
Not only is she is a professor at Spelman College, but she is also a distinguished author on the topic of disability studies and has previously studied rhetoric. Thus, she knows what she is talking about when it comes to the definitions of mental disabilities. That being said, she also has a little bit of a bias because she herself is disabled. This can be shown in her initial rejection of the term ‘survivor’ due to her past experiences with being disabled (299). She uses a very scholarly tone, which is portrayed in her diction. She uses words like “neuroatypical” and “psychosocial” that many people don’t know the definition of (303, 304). Although scholarly, her tone can also be seen as approachable through her use of pathos and common phrases such as “crazy girl” and “healthy as a horse” (305). Through her tone and experiences, one can truly see that Margaret Price is not only a credible author, but also an intriguing …show more content…
Price’s purpose for writing this article is to inform her audience about the different definitions of disability and also to rework the definition itself. Her main argument is that there are many words one can use to describe “impairments of the mind”, but there is not one correct word to use to describe them (298). One must acknowledge the different definitions and decipher which one fits to the situation at hand. However, the definition that a person chooses must be more inclusive and expressive of individuality. She gives the readers about seven words to choose from when defining mental disability and gives examples as to how those words can be used. Overall, Price just wants her audience to understand the different words for disability. Her intended audience is anyone who is confused by the many terms for disability. Basically, anyone interested in the field of disability studies or anyone who is mislabeling the term. The audience doesn’t have to know much about the topic because Price does a phenomenal job of explaining the terms she uses. Therefore, the situation gives the reader a glance into the credibility and capacity of this