Divided Care: Differences in the Agencies of Family Caregivers for Disabled Children in East and West Germany

Abstract

Parents and their disabled children in both German states faced discrimination and severe challenges in the organisation of family life. In the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), from the 1960s onwards, parents achieved more far-reaching influence over the schooling and overall treatment of their children. The reasons for and avenues of parental empowerment were different on both sides of the border. In West Germany, collective action within a civil society framework was the major factor behind parental empowerment. In the GDR, parental protest tended to be more individualist and was often voiced via the petitioning system ( Eingaben) .