Abstract
Drawing upon Disability Studies and the work of James Elkins, this article offers an analysis of the discourse surrounding the groundbreaking, first partial face transplant in 2005. By critiquing the normative gaze imposed by medical, popular and ethical arguments on face transplantation, it is argued that such hegemonic discourse ultimately undermines the same agency it purports to be its main motivation. The article ends with an example of an alternative engagement with facial disfigurement and thus a challenge to facilitate individual agency in our discourse of diverse embodiment.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | American Communication Journal |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2010 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Communication
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Agency and the dominant face : Facial transplantation and the discourse of normalcy. / Cypher, Joy.
In: American Communication Journal, Vol. 12, No. 1, 01.12.2010.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Agency and the dominant face
T2 - Facial transplantation and the discourse of normalcy
AU - Cypher, Joy
PY - 2010/12/1
Y1 - 2010/12/1
N2 - Drawing upon Disability Studies and the work of James Elkins, this article offers an analysis of the discourse surrounding the groundbreaking, first partial face transplant in 2005. By critiquing the normative gaze imposed by medical, popular and ethical arguments on face transplantation, it is argued that such hegemonic discourse ultimately undermines the same agency it purports to be its main motivation. The article ends with an example of an alternative engagement with facial disfigurement and thus a challenge to facilitate individual agency in our discourse of diverse embodiment.
AB - Drawing upon Disability Studies and the work of James Elkins, this article offers an analysis of the discourse surrounding the groundbreaking, first partial face transplant in 2005. By critiquing the normative gaze imposed by medical, popular and ethical arguments on face transplantation, it is argued that such hegemonic discourse ultimately undermines the same agency it purports to be its main motivation. The article ends with an example of an alternative engagement with facial disfigurement and thus a challenge to facilitate individual agency in our discourse of diverse embodiment.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79959205011&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79959205011
VL - 12
JO - American Communication Journal
JF - American Communication Journal
SN - 1532-5865
IS - 1
ER -