Social Progress

The following paragraph forms the abstract for a new autism article, Autism as a Natural Human Variation: Reflections on the Claims of the Neurodiversity Movement (Jaarsma and Welin 2011), a report written no doubt by some highly privileged researchers:

Neurodiversity has remained a controversial concept over the last decade. In its broadest sense the concept of neurodiversity regards atypical neurological development as a normal human difference. The neurodiversity claim contains at least two different aspects. The first aspect is that autism, among other neurological conditions, is first and foremost a natural variation. The other aspect is about conferring rights and in particular value to the neurodiversity condition, demanding recognition and acceptance. Autism can be seen as a natural variation on par with for example homosexuality. The broad version of the neurodiversity claim, covering low-functioning as well as high-functioning autism, is problematic. Only a narrow conception of neurodiversity, referring exclusively to high-functioning autists, is reasonable. We will discuss the effects of DSM categorization and the medical model for high functioning autists. After a discussion of autism as a culture we will analyze various possible strategies for the neurodiversity movement to claim extra resources for autists as members of an underprivileged culture without being labelled disabled or as having a disorder. We will discuss their vulnerable status as a group and what obligation that confers on the majority of neurotypicals.

Allow me to make a small (and admittedly ugly) revision to that paragraph, and let’s assume now that it has been written by some highly privileged caucasians:

The civil rights movement has remained a controversial concept over the last decade. In its broadest sense the concept of civil rights regards non-white skin color as a normal human difference. The movement’s claim contains at least two different aspects. The first aspect is that being black, among other racial conditions, is first and foremost a natural variation. The other aspect is about conferring rights and in particular value to different racial conditions, demanding recognition and acceptance. Being black can be seen as a natural variation on par with for example homosexuality. The broad version of the civil rights claim, covering extremely dark-skinned blacks as well as mulattoes, is problematic. Only a narrow conception of civil rights, referring exclusively to mulattoes, is reasonable. We will discuss the effects of Jim Crow laws and the segregation model for mulattoes. After a discussion of being black as a culture we will analyze various possible strategies for the civil rights movement to claim extra resources for mulattoes as members of an underprivileged culture without being labelled sub-human or as having a disorder. We will discuss their vulnerable status as a group and what obligation that confers on the majority of whites.

You see, that is the amazing thing about human ignorance and arrogance—no matter what happens in the world, those characteristics can always find a new home.

(Jaarsma and Welin 2011): Jaarsma, Pier; Welin, Stellan. 2011. “Autism as a Natural Human Variation: Reflections on the Claims of the Neurodiversity Movement.” Health Care Analysis (in press).