Vulnerable Normality: Popular Neuroimaging and the Discursive Logic of the (Dis)able(d) Brain
(2018) In Culture Unbound. Journal of Current Cultural Research 10(1). p.49-64- Abstract
- The aim of this article is to analyse popular neuroimaging of (dis)able(d) brains as a cultural phenomenon, as well as to explore how there has been, during the last decades, a subtle but important change in the way “normal” brains are depicted in popular science. Popular neuroimaging is introduced and used as an empirical basis to analyse what Fiona Kumari Campbell sees as a critique against ableism. e empirical material consists of two British popular science documentaries (both produced by the BBC) on the topic of the brain: Human Brain (1983), and Brain Story (2004). e article argues that the position of normality and able-bodiedness has changed as the development of brain scanning techniques has emerged. In particular, there seems to... (More)
- The aim of this article is to analyse popular neuroimaging of (dis)able(d) brains as a cultural phenomenon, as well as to explore how there has been, during the last decades, a subtle but important change in the way “normal” brains are depicted in popular science. Popular neuroimaging is introduced and used as an empirical basis to analyse what Fiona Kumari Campbell sees as a critique against ableism. e empirical material consists of two British popular science documentaries (both produced by the BBC) on the topic of the brain: Human Brain (1983), and Brain Story (2004). e article argues that the position of normality and able-bodiedness has changed as the development of brain scanning techniques has emerged. In particular, there seems to have been a change in how the brain is visualized and talked about. New frameworks for understanding normality, disability and vulnerability have appeared. Furthermore, we claim that this shi needs to be studied from a theoretical perspective that analyses the discursive logic of the (dis)able(d) brain where an indistinctness transpires and creates a form of vulnerable normality. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/72aefd40-4d8a-47c4-9a5e-b932229602c8
- author
- Hansson, Kristofer LU and Suneson, Ellen LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2018-04-20
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- ableism, brain, (dis)able(d), indistinctness, neuroscience, popular neuroimaging, popular science, vulnerable normality, Ableism, brain, (dis)able(d), indistinctness, neuroscience, popular neuroimaging, popular science, vulnerable normality
- in
- Culture Unbound. Journal of Current Cultural Research
- volume
- 10
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 49 - 64
- publisher
- Linköping University Electronic Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85045733080
- ISSN
- 2000-1525
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 72aefd40-4d8a-47c4-9a5e-b932229602c8
- alternative location
- http://www.cultureunbound.ep.liu.se/v10/a05/cu18v10a05.pdf
- date added to LUP
- 2018-04-20 14:52:07
- date last changed
- 2022-05-03 02:46:30
@article{72aefd40-4d8a-47c4-9a5e-b932229602c8,
abstract = {{The aim of this article is to analyse popular neuroimaging of (dis)able(d) brains as a cultural phenomenon, as well as to explore how there has been, during the last decades, a subtle but important change in the way “normal” brains are depicted in popular science. Popular neuroimaging is introduced and used as an empirical basis to analyse what Fiona Kumari Campbell sees as a critique against ableism. e empirical material consists of two British popular science documentaries (both produced by the BBC) on the topic of the brain: Human Brain (1983), and Brain Story (2004). e article argues that the position of normality and able-bodiedness has changed as the development of brain scanning techniques has emerged. In particular, there seems to have been a change in how the brain is visualized and talked about. New frameworks for understanding normality, disability and vulnerability have appeared. Furthermore, we claim that this shi needs to be studied from a theoretical perspective that analyses the discursive logic of the (dis)able(d) brain where an indistinctness transpires and creates a form of vulnerable normality.}},
author = {{Hansson, Kristofer and Suneson, Ellen}},
issn = {{2000-1525}},
keywords = {{ableism; brain; (dis)able(d); indistinctness; neuroscience; popular neuroimaging; popular science; vulnerable normality; Ableism; brain; (dis)able(d); indistinctness; neuroscience; popular neuroimaging; popular science; vulnerable normality}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{04}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{49--64}},
publisher = {{Linköping University Electronic Press}},
series = {{Culture Unbound. Journal of Current Cultural Research}},
title = {{Vulnerable Normality: Popular Neuroimaging and the Discursive Logic of the (Dis)able(d) Brain}},
url = {{http://www.cultureunbound.ep.liu.se/v10/a05/cu18v10a05.pdf}},
volume = {{10}},
year = {{2018}},
}