Empire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism
Jan 8, 2024
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Author Robert Chapman discusses the intersections of capitalism and neurodiversity, exploring the historical development of capitalism's influence on health and disability. He highlights the impact of figures like Francis Galton and the emergence of the anti-psychiatry movement. The chapter also delves into the implications of neoliberalism on mental health and the rise in autism diagnosis. Lastly, it explores the concept of neurodivergent Marxism and the need for collective action for liberation.
The neurodiversity movement needs a more radical politics to address the underlying structures of capitalist society and achieve true liberation for marginalized individuals.
The connection between neurodiversity and capitalism can be traced back to the industrial revolution, and understanding this historical context is crucial for a critical neurodivergent Marxist approach.
The rise of capitalism led to a shift in the concept of health, linking it to normal functioning and excluding and discriminating against people with disabilities who fell outside societal norms.
Deep dives
The Origins of Neurodivergent Marxism
The author, Robert Chapman, is a neurodivergent philosopher who combines their personal experiences and Marxist theories in their work. Chapman's interest in the neurodiversity movement stemmed from their own struggles with school and poverty, as well as a desire to challenge traditional approaches to mental health. They found mainstream psychiatry and anti-psychiatry both limited in helping them understand their own experiences. Instead, they embraced the principles of neurodiversity, which recognizes disability as a social construct and emphasizes the role of societal structures in disabling individuals. Chapman's work aims to establish neurodivergent Marxism, combining Marxist analysis with a neurodiversity perspective.
The Limits and Co-option of the Neurodiversity Movement
The neurodiversity movement has made significant strides in promoting neurodiversity pride and demanding accommodations for neurodivergent individuals. However, there are inherent limitations to the reform-based approach it often adopts. While legal rights and accommodations have improved for some, many marginalized individuals, such as those who are black or working class, still experience high rates of incarceration and systemic oppression. Additionally, there is a growing concern of the co-option of neurodiversity by businesses and individuals who may not genuinely support the liberation of neurodivergent people. This neoliberal co-option can perpetuate inequalities and exclude those with more complex disabilities. To achieve true liberation, a more radical politics is needed to address the underlying structures of capitalist society.
The Historical Context of Neurodiversity and Capitalism
The connection between neurodiversity and capitalism can be traced back to the industrial revolution and the increasing mechanization of labor. As capitalism emerged, concepts of normality and able-bodiedness developed, influencing our understanding of bodily and mental health. The anti-psychiatry movement in the 1960s and 70s, led by figures like Thomas Szasz, challenged traditional psychiatry and mental health diagnoses. However, Szasz's ideas, which gained popularity, stemmed from a right-wing libertarian perspective and aligned with neoliberal ideologies. The rise of neoliberalism and post-Fordism further intensified disabling conditions, contributing to a dramatic increase in mental disorder diagnoses, including autism. Understanding the historical context helps shape a critical neurodivergent Marxist approach that goes beyond merely challenging psychiatric frameworks to address the structural roots of oppression in capitalist society.
The Historical Shift from Health as Harmony to Health as Normal Functioning
The speaker describes how the concept of health has shifted over time due to the rise of capitalism. In traditional societies, health was associated with harmony and balance, as people lived in close relation to their communities and environments. However, with the emergence of capitalism, health became linked to normal functioning and individuals were measured against societal norms. This shift led to the exclusion and discrimination of people with disabilities who fell outside these norms.
Francis Galton and the Influence of Biomedical Approaches on Psychiatry
The speaker discusses the significance of Francis Galton in the history of psychiatry and the enforcement of normalcy. Galton, influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution, emphasized the ranking of individuals based on abilities and developed statistical analyses to measure intelligence and other factors. This laid the foundation for modern research paradigms in psychology and psychiatry. Galton's ideas, including his racist rankings of different races, continue to shape how abilities and disabilities are understood and measured. Furthermore, the speaker highlights the influence of Galton on Emil Craplin, who expanded and applied this paradigm to mental illnesses, leading to the current system of behavioral classifications and the normalization of certain cognitive and emotional norms.
Awareness around and diagnoses of neurodiversity have exploded in recent years, but as Robert argues, we are still missing a wider understanding of how we got here and why. In today's episode we discuss the rich histories of the neurodiversity and disability movements, as well as how our understanding of mental and physical health and disability has been profoundly shaped by the development of capitalism. We also explore the origins of the pathology paradigm, the emergence of the anti-psychiatry movement in the 1960s, and the limitations of a liberal rights-based approach to neurodiversity activism today.
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