S10 E3—The return of the R-word is about more than language. The words we choose both reflect and shape our moral imagination. When disability becomes an insult or a political weapon, it influences how we understand human worth, vulnerability, and belonging. In this conversation, Christina Cipriano, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore her research on political language and disability, including the return of the R-word. They discuss what these patterns reveal about the systems shaping care, education, and belonging, and they consider: how can we resist dehumanizing language and choose words that move us toward justice and joy?
00:00 Introduction to Disability Discourse Matters
06:53 Asset-Based vs. Deficit-Based Perspectives
10:27 Personal Narratives and Language Choices
19:49 The Rise, Fall, and Rise of the R Word
23:42 Dehumanization in Political Rhetoric
28:47 Historical Context of Disability Discourse
33:00 Disability Language and Future Generations
40:48 Reimagining Disability and the Good Life
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
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ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Christina Cipriano, PhD, is currently an associate professor of applied developmental and educational psychology at the Yale Child Study Center in the Yale School of Medicine and Director of the Education Collaboratory. This fall Dr. Cipriano will transition to be the inaugural Joseph W. and Alma W. Keilty Endowed Chair in Education and Professor with tenure at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Education Collaboratory will be moving to the College of Education at UMass Amherst. An award-winning scholar and internationally regarded expert in the science of learning and development, Chris received her PhD from Boston College, her EdM from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her undergraduate degree from Hofstra University. Dr. Cipriano has published over one hundred and twenty papers, commentaries, and reports, spanning top-tier journals such as Child Development and the Review of Educational Research as well as media outlets including The Washington Post, NPR, The New York Times, PBS, and Education Week. Her award-winning and best-selling new book, Be Unapologetically Impatient: The Mindset Required to Change the Way We Do Things (2025), is the latest must-read for every educator, provider, parent, and person interested in improving the lives of children and families, right now. A prolific public scholar, educator, and speaker, Chris privileges her positionality as a first-generation high school graduate and mother of four children in her science.
https://www.disabilitydiscoursematters.org/
https://www.beunapologeticallyimpatient.com/
https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/christina-cipriano/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinacipriano/
LinkedIn @ChristinaCipriano
Instagram @DrChrisCip
BlueSky @DrChrisCip
Twitter @DrChrisCip
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