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Doing Normalcy. Attractive interactions for teenage boys with disabilities

Wästerfors, David LU (2008) In International Journal of Sociological Research
Abstract
The contemporary expansion of diagnoses is a well-known phenomenon. What is rarely investigated, however, are people’s subtle ways of deconstructing medical stigmas in everyday interactions. This article, based on an ethnographic study of a recreational activity for teenage boys with diverse diagnoses and disabilities (for instance, Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD, and cerebral pares), shows how a de-stigmatizing “normalcy” may be interactively and situationally maintained in the periphery of a society’s health care system. The studied activity takes place in a garage setting and is built around repair work on an old American car. The practical and mundane elements of this activity, analyzed thematically as “garage work”, “the jargon”, “doing... (More)
The contemporary expansion of diagnoses is a well-known phenomenon. What is rarely investigated, however, are people’s subtle ways of deconstructing medical stigmas in everyday interactions. This article, based on an ethnographic study of a recreational activity for teenage boys with diverse diagnoses and disabilities (for instance, Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD, and cerebral pares), shows how a de-stigmatizing “normalcy” may be interactively and situationally maintained in the periphery of a society’s health care system. The studied activity takes place in a garage setting and is built around repair work on an old American car. The practical and mundane elements of this activity, analyzed thematically as “garage work”, “the jargon”, “doing nothing”, and “a coffee ritual”, proved to supply significant occasions for deconstructing stigmatized selves in undramatic ways. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
in press
subject
keywords
disability, diagnoses, stigma, sociology, interaction, normalcy, sociologi
in
International Journal of Sociological Research
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c7f5ff14-7145-4781-b4bc-1c5dab72209e (old id 1171284)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 14:36:11
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:21:15
@article{c7f5ff14-7145-4781-b4bc-1c5dab72209e,
  abstract     = {{The contemporary expansion of diagnoses is a well-known phenomenon. What is rarely investigated, however, are people’s subtle ways of deconstructing medical stigmas in everyday interactions. This article, based on an ethnographic study of a recreational activity for teenage boys with diverse diagnoses and disabilities (for instance, Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD, and cerebral pares), shows how a de-stigmatizing “normalcy” may be interactively and situationally maintained in the periphery of a society’s health care system. The studied activity takes place in a garage setting and is built around repair work on an old American car. The practical and mundane elements of this activity, analyzed thematically as “garage work”, “the jargon”, “doing nothing”, and “a coffee ritual”, proved to supply significant occasions for deconstructing stigmatized selves in undramatic ways.}},
  author       = {{Wästerfors, David}},
  keywords     = {{disability; diagnoses; stigma; sociology; interaction; normalcy; sociologi}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Sociological Research}},
  title        = {{Doing Normalcy. Attractive interactions for teenage boys with disabilities}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}