Toward a Poetics of Valorization

“To serve people well is to craft a life as one would craft a poem: with form, with soul, and with the courage to see beauty where others refuse to look.”

Introduction

Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger (1934–2011) was a pioneering scholar and advocate in the field of disability rights and human services. Best known for developing the theory of Social Role Valorization (SRV), Wolfensberger emphasized that the well-being of devalued individual particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities—depends significantly on their access to valued social roles in culturally normative contexts (Wolfensberger, 1998). His work challenged service systems to reimagine their purpose: not to contain or normalize individuals, but to help them flourish by improving their perceived social image and personal competency.

Théophile Gautier (1811–1872), by contrast, was a 19th-century French poet, novelist, art critic, and champion of the "art for art's sake" movement. His mindset was marked by a fierce independence, a reverence for aesthetic beauty, and a resistance to utilitarianism. Gautier believed that art should not serve moral or political functions but should exist for its own beauty and truth (Gautier, 1835).

While separated by discipline and context, these two thinkers share a kindred spirit. Merging Wolfensberger’s valorization framework with Gautier’s aesthetic philosophy offers a fresh lens: a poetics of valorization, where the treatment of vulnerable people is guided by integrity, beauty, and rebellion against reductionist systems.

Five Points of Convergence

1. Image and the Good Things of Life

Wolfensberger asserted that the way people are portrayed and perceived directly influences their access to the "good things of life" (Wolfensberger, 1998). Gautier similarly contended that beauty has intrinsic value and must be pursued for its own sake. Both thinkers elevate the significance of image—not as surface-level manipulation, but as a vehicle for revealing inherent worth.

Synthesis: Image, when crafted with intention and respect, becomes a moral and aesthetic act. Presenting devalued individuals through lenses of dignity and beauty is a necessary form of justice.

2. The Role of the Advocate and the Artist

Wolfensberger saw the advocate as someone who protects vulnerable individuals by challenging degrading societal patterns. Gautier envisioned the artist as a solitary figure resisting mediocrity and moralizing constraints. Both roles require courage, discipline, and conviction.

Synthesis: The advocate, like the artist, is a cultural rebel—guided not by conformity, but by

fidelity to human value and truth.

3. Culturally Valued Analogues and Classical Form

SRV promotes the use of culturally valued analogues (CVAs) to afford people roles and settings that society already respects. Gautier, too, believed in classical forms and archetypes as vehicles for expressing timeless beauty.

Synthesis: Whether in art or advocacy, drawing from culturally revered forms can elevate both perception and experience, granting individuals access to roles society esteems.

4. Personal Integrity and the Moral Use of Aesthetics

Wolfensberger warned against tokenistic or insincere inclusion. Gautier championed artistic purity—rejecting art created merely to appease the masses or serve political ends. Each man insisted on integrity.

Synthesis: To valorize well, one must act with moral clarity. Beauty must never be used as camouflage, but as a sincere expression of a person’s truth.

5. Rebellion with Purpose

Gautier's rebellion was aesthetic; Wolfensberger's was ethical. Both resisted dominant ideologies that stripped life of meaning—whether through bureaucratic devaluation or utilitarian dullness.

Synthesis: True service and true art both require rebellion—a refusal to accept a world that renders people invisible, ordinary, or expendable.

Conclusion

The fusion of Wolfensberger’s teachings with Gautier’s philosophy produces a radical ethos: to see and serve others not merely as functionaries or clients, but as bearers of beauty, meaning, and social value. This is not a technical task, but a poetic one. The work of the advocate, like the work of the artist, must involve imagination, integrity, and a belief in the transcendent worth of every person.

To serve people well is to craft a life as one would craft a poem: with form, with soul, and with the courage to see beauty where others refuse to look.

References

Gautier, T. (1835). Mademoiselle de Maupin. Paris: Charpentier.

Wolfensberger, W. (1998). A brief introduction to Social Role Valorization: A high-order concept for addressing the plight of societally devalued people, and for structuring human services. 3rd ed. Syracuse, NY: Training Institute for Human Service Planning, Leadership & Change Agentry.

ChatGPT (2025). Contribution to conceptual synthesis and drafting. OpenAI.

https://openai.com/chatgpt

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About the Author:

Thomas Neuville is Professor of Education at Millersville University in Millersville, PA. Dr. Neuville holds a Bachelors degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin, a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and has a Ph.D. in Human Resource and Education from Colorado State University. He has more than twenty- five years experience in community and organizational development. Dr. Neuville is the former CEO & President of the Resource Exchange in Colorado Springs, the Denver Independent Living Center, the CASSP Institute in Harrisburg, PA., and the Commonwealth Institute in Harrisburg PA. All organizations are non-profit groups dedicated to excellence in the building of strong communities.