‘You Never Know where their Hands Have Been’ – the Notion of Intellectual Disability as Contaminated

Abstract

Mary Douglas claims that ideas about dirt and pollution are often analogies reflecting a view of the social order. This article explores the representations of dirt and pollution in a Norwegian group home for people with intellectual disabilities. It shows how the staff’s use of separate chairs and workwear, and their frequent and intensive washing of clothes and cups touched by the residents, are part of an institutional work to preserve a classificatory order in their relationship with the residents, an order that has been blurred by political ideology and reform. Combining several theoretical resources, the article contributes to a deeper understanding of the symbolic and ritual meanings of dirt and pollution in the establishment and maintenance of social order. It also contributes to a better understanding of why progressive reforms tend to fail without a clear and practical map for its implementation.