Hannah Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, an Associate Professor focused on normativity and autism studies, and Anna Stenning, a research fellow exploring life writing by autistic authors, delve into the revolutionary field of neurodiversity studies. They challenge traditional norms, advocating for neurodivergent perspectives and emphasizing the need for new narratives around autism. The discussion critiques societal perceptions and calls for cognitive decolonization, ultimately redefining our understanding of human diversity and promoting inclusive knowledge production.
54:49
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Defining Neurotypicality
Neurotypical means having cognitive functioning seen as normal by society, which is variable by time and place.
The concept of neurodiversity challenges this fixed norm and highlights power structures shaping definitions of normality.
insights INSIGHT
Critical Neurodiversity Paradigm
Neurodiversity studies critically examine power and knowledge production around neurodivergence.
New research methods led by neurodivergent people are needed to challenge traditional neurotypical assumptions.
insights INSIGHT
Neurodiversity vs Neurodivergence
Neurodiversity is a trait of groups, not individuals; everyone has a different brain.
'Neurodivergent' identifies those marginalized by cognitive norms, unlike the broader inclusive term neurodiverse.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
The book offers in-depth explorations of the themes of cure/prevention/eugenics, neurodivergent wellbeing, cross-neurotype communication, neurodiversity at work, and challenging brain-bound cognition. It analyses the role of neuro-normativity in theorising agency, and a proposal for a new alliance between the Hearing Voices Movement and neurodiversity. In doing so, we contribute to a cultural imperative to redefine what it means to be human. To this end, we propose a new field of enquiry that finds ways to support the inclusion of neurodivergent perspectives in knowledge production, and which questions the theoretical and mythological assumptions that produce the idea of the neurotypical.
Fingers in the Sparkle Jar
Fingers in the Sparkle Jar
Chris Packham
This memoir by Chris Packham is a deeply personal and emotionally exposing account of his childhood in the 1970s. It recounts his isolation and obsessions, particularly his relationship with a kestrel he raised as a boy. The book touches on tough topics such as mental illness, attempted suicide, and family breakdowns, all handled with exquisite care. Packham's narrative is unique, moving between different tenses and viewpoints, and includes sections where he discusses his life with a therapist. The book is a poignant exploration of his search for freedom, meaning, and acceptance in a world that did not understand him, and how his passion for nature helped him through the darkest times.
Building on work in feminist studies, queer studies and critical race theory, this volume challenges the universality of propositions about human nature, by questioning the boundaries between predominant neurotypes and 'others', including dyslexics, autistics and ADHDers.
Neurodiversity Studies: A New Critical Paradigm (Routledge, 2020) is the first work of its kind to bring cutting-edge research across disciplines to the concept of neurodiversity. It offers in-depth explorations of the themes of cure/prevention/eugenics; neurodivergent wellbeing; cross-neurotype communication; neurodiversity at work; and challenging brain-bound cognition. It analyses the role of neuro-normativity in theorising agency, and a proposal for a new alliance between the Hearing Voices Movement and neurodiversity. In doing so, we contribute to a cultural imperative to redefine what it means to be human. To this end, we propose a new field of enquiry that finds ways to support the inclusion of neurodivergent perspectives in knowledge production, and which questions the theoretical and mythological assumptions that produce the idea of the neurotypical.
Working at the crossroads between sociology, critical psychology, medical humanities, critical disability studies, and critical autism studies, and sharing theoretical ground with critical race studies and critical queer studies, the proposed new field - neurodiversity studies - will be of interest to people working in all these areas.
Christina Anderson Bosch is faculty at the California State University, Fresno. She is curious about + committed to public, inclusive education in pluralistic societies where critical perspectives on questions of social and ecological justice are valued enough to enact material dignity and metaphysical wellbeing on massive scales.
New Books in Critical Theory