Witches, Jews and Asylum Patients : Constructing a Cultural History of Neurodiversity
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2024 |
| Druh | Další prezentace na konferencích |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| Popis | Even though the concept of neurodiversity was introduced only 26 years ago and is therefore still relatively new, the idea of cognitive and biological difference is not. This paper aims to argue that to write a cultural history of neurodiversity, one must follow the links between three specific groups across centuries: witches, Jews, and asylum patients. An older woman accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death in a trial by men had all agency taken from her, as did a young girl who was sent to an asylum after being diagnosed with hysteria because she refused to marry. Those who were born with disabilities were under the same risk of persecution during the Nazi regime as were those who were Jewish. And both queer people and autistics are still being subjected to traumatising aversion therapies to “cure” them from an illness that does not exist. What ultimately connects these groups is that they defy the norm in some way. They are different. However, because the normative majority refused to rationally explain and comprehend these differences in the past, it should come as no surprise that similar attitudes towards marginalised groups still prevail in 2024. A cultural history of neurodiversity would therefore comprehensively examine the specific details of how those who are different were treated throughout history and provide a better understanding of the contemporary notion of neurodiversity and how neurodivergent people are perceived today. |
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