Normalization and rehabilitation as objects of socio-political measures concerning the mentally retarded in Denmark and the Federal Republic of Germany: an intercultural comparative study.
This is a report on first results of a research project which tries to develop statements concerning the transferability of the concept of normalization as a basis of the care for the mentally handicapped from the Scandinavian into the German context. The intercultural comparative study is chosen as the appropriate method. This is done on the basis of a socio-political comparison of the situation and practice of public services in both countries, as well as on the basis of a comparison of selected service regions. In this paper we do report on results on that socio-political comparison. There is a difference between the comparison of structural characteristics of social systems, the comparison of socio-political measures and the comparison of social tendencies and problems which have effects on the situation of the mentally retarded. In the centre of this statement is a nearby aspect of the structures' comparison, that is the comparison of the objects of public care for the mentally handicapped in Denmark and the FRG. These aims are defined within the specific arguments for legislative standardisations. In Denmark this aim is paraphrased by the term "normalization", which means to arrange the life of a handicapped as normal as possible. In Germany there is an alignment about the objective "rehabilitation", which is formulated most comprehensively as the integration of the handicapped into work, profession and society. An analysis of the normative contents shows a close conformity in the conceptions of the aims. In contrast to this we find practically basic organisational and structural differences in the systems of public services which in essence are connected with the different social systems of both countries and the different development of reform processes in this subject.
D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003718:Denmark; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011640:Public Policy