Is there an Aspie "culture"?

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I think one thing that jumped out at me was the word "integrated", because that seems to be the axis around which the other notions like class, ethnicity and shared backgrounds s fit together. Ie culture at an individual level is a integrative/integrated system of joining these things together thus linking them to wider society etc through shared meaning. Ie it is a synthesis

Hmm. Let's do something a bit Aspie ( fun stuff) , let's look at words and meaning as geometric shapes. That's what I "see" when I shift focus and look at things visually. All these words and relate meanings have a "shape". Fitting shapes together requires two things :

1. The basic that they can crudely tessellate to form a structure ( imperfect but substantial)

2. The one assembling the "shapes" into structure can sense or abstract the underlying rules
that allow them to continue the pattern in order make sense of the "data stream" of daily experience as it varies, within this structure.

Yep?

So, if we AS are considered unable to integrate NT culture sufficiently to form a functional structure , but we can integrate our shared . common experiences through sites like WP, then we have a culture?

Not that easy.

You need to define the extent of integration and its functional relationship to the broader social context in NT social relations, then you need to measure this against the degree of
integration and synthesis in potential culture here and other sites.

To do this you need some way of measuring and comparing degrees of culture/synthesis and its effects on real world issues ,specific and general to the groups you are studying. This requires a reliable comparative methodology.


Are there any "off the peg" methodologies designed for measuring and representing culture?

You will get so far by taking an Interpretive approach- ie asking "do we AS think we have a culture?", but when you get to measuring the data you produce , without a model you'll be able to say little more than "this is what they said", which might not be enough to get published in a journal specializing in sociological methods and analysis.

Meme

Interesting thoughts. You are right, I really can't "prove" the existence or the extent of an AS culture. However, for the purpose of this piece, all I need to do is create a convincing argument. What you propose sounds interesting though.

This is not a sociology journal, so the requirements will be far less strict. I think the analogy to Deaf culture is strong (especially from a communication perspective), but I need to convince the reader that an online community is as valid as FTF.

Before you write it off - check out some of the Ph.D thesis that developed models for cultural analysis . Maybe you can adapt them with the author's permission?

If you want to build one it's actually quite easy and I'm around for a week or two, then you could submit the research methodolgy for peer review , if passed you could apply it to your work.

It's more about reliably measuring than "proving."

Look: It hinges around degrees of synthesis/integration in individuals in that culture . When culture changes , the system of synthesis adapts. So there's one demonstrable factor .

Somebody called Susan Blackmore was working on determining the relation between 'memes' and culture , hence must have some definitions of culture you could Email her and ask her advice. She seems like a nice, bit NT-nutty lady but she knows her stuff about culture.

meme

Before you write it off - check out some of the Ph.D thesis that developed models for cultural analysis . Maybe you can adapt them with the author's permission?

If you want to build one it's actually quite easy and I'm around for a week or two, then you could submit the research methodolgy for peer review , if passed you could apply it to your work.

It's more about reliably measuring than "proving."

Look: It hinges around degrees of synthesis/integration in individuals in that culture . When culture changes , the system of synthesis adapts. So there's one demonstrable factor .

Somebody called Susan Blackmore was working on determining the relation between 'memes' and culture , hence must have some definitions of culture you could Email her and ask her advice. She seems like a nice, bit NT-nutty lady but she knows her stuff about culture.

meme

double post.

Thanks surfman!

Like you, it seems, I tend to compare and contrast our group with other social/political groups which have come of age in recent decades: African-American, women, LGBT, and the deaf. We are still at our smokin' hot baby beginnings.

Lately, I've been wondering how important it is to the formation of a group identity, to have an identified "enemy". Regrettable word that.
Is it, however, a necessity at the beginning, I wonder?. Not only for definition of what one is, (and is not), but as a necessary element to create cohesion, and focus collective energy for action. I'm thinking of the Stonewall uprising, and Gallaudet walk out. I find the Gallaudet episode extraordinarily inspiring as it was both peaceful and effective.

While equanimity and zen like acceptance of the status quo may do wonders for one's mental health, anger is probably more conducive to creating change.

I don't find that I'm angry at the dominate NT culture. They go about their lives as suits them, and if only they'd use their "inside voices" more often whilst doing it I'd be fine with the lot of them.

I am, however, almost continuously annoyed at the casual delivery of negative stereotypes by professionals who neither belong to the group they are speaking for, nor do they identify with it. If anyone wants to organize a collective action to change the language used by the "experts", you can count me in. Sorry if I seem a bit grumpy, I've been reading articles by experts all day, which I nearly always find demoralizing.

Happy Independence Day!

I voted no. If there is a ASD culture then I have never seen or experienced it.

Plantwhisperer : I went a Ninjitsu class a few years back to check it out. These guys showed me what their ancestors did to get weapons. Get this : they used a long pole to disarm a Samurai and snatched his sword off him. They did this because they figured it was more efficient to snatch and steal weapons than trying to build a forge and develop techniques of sword making. They couldn't manufacture sophisticated weapons because they were engaged in hit and run warfare and survival technique.

NT's have theories which can be snatched and deployed to prevent the kind of oppression you feel strongly about . If simplified you only have to take pieces and learn how to apply them into an effective fighting system.

Most academics as you can see don't actually know what they are talking about when their theories are deconstructed. They know they get payed money for doing it so they carry on talking and writing papers and there's a huge business in academic debate and research that involves travel to conferences, nice homes, status and good employment conditions and security.-

Snatch the sword.

meme,
Snatch the sword, eh? Brings to mind that picture of tiny Alice in armor and sword, facing down the g'normous Jabberwocky. (They used it in the recent movie.) Maybe I should use it for my avatar, if no one else has laid claim to it already?

You make some really interesting points about proving the existence of a culture. It's a bit Wittgenstein for me. "How do I, (really) know this desk is here if I can't prove it?"
So, I'm in complete agreement when you get to "demonstrable" effects on the surrounding culture. As in, "By their fruits ye shall know them". What have we done as a group?
The internet?
Stomping on Autism Speaks toes, for their hyperstigmatizing of autism.
And.....?

I think for an article outside one's particular interests, as this seems to be for fizzicksgirl, perhaps a more concrete based model might more efficient. Or, perhaps, that's just me.(?)

I am not a sociologist nor an anthropologist. The study meme proposes would be quite interesting, but it is out of my field. I did not start out here trying to absolutely prove an AS culture exists. I am looking for support for my claim that one exists because I think students who have AS are underserved in public schools because school staff are not knowledgeable about AS. The call for increased cultural competence is used to advocate for many marginalized people in schools. The current emphasis on cultural competence gives me a starting point to grab onto, something to get people's attention. Thus, if I can move the readers towards believing that an AS culture does exist, because they already buy into the importance of cultural competence, this creates a reason to be more cognizant of autistic ways.

Perhaps this argument is premature. I think the neurodiversity movement is trying to move things in the right direction.

I find it interesting how some here are so suspicious and critical of this interest I have.

Am I your enemy because I am not one of you?

I hope that is not the case.

Relax the guys are just messing with you, they want to figure you out. Some of us got pretty screwed over by life. It's a bit like walking into a Hells Angels clubhouse and announcing you want to study antisocial behavior and divergent subculture, which is the sort of stupid thing I might have done thirty years ago:)



Chill, ride it out ,don't be afraid.

Oh dear , have just remembered, that was the sort of stupid thing I did. We were behind stage at this one gig and there was an all-girl band playing ... most distracting... I digress.

Know anything about Copenhagen Interpretation and how you can apply this to culture.

"According to their interpretation, the act of measurement causes the calculated set of probabilities to "collapse" to the value defined by the measurement."

You see by simply wandering into somewhere you assume subculture to exist your presence my trigger that culture into existence by the degree you intend to measure it.

There is a solution to this.

Don't try to talk to a Prospect about subculture in the middle of a gig. Chill for a bit and observe. Talk about bikes, beer, music, what the road and hedgerows smell like after rain in spring and why you like that smell, it's 'small talk' specific to their group.- Man I could have gone to the after-gig party as well.



Meme.

And here I thought this was one place I could ask a direct question and get a direct answer. I am not good at "small talk".

And then invoking Quantum Physics... you are the sly one.

See, that kind of stuff is our small talk, sometimes, depending on who you are talking to and what kind of day they've had .

There's a really funny thread about worms curing AS . Maybe you could go an chat on there for a bit and it'll give you an idea of what most of us think about miracle cures and money making schemes and general cynicism to related research stuff. It's a lovely example of AS humor and it is so funny and perceptive in places.

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postx54604-30-0.html