Interested in doing an essay on Autistic Subculture

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I am taking a class in Cultural Anthropology, and I think I'd like to do an essay on Autistic Subculture.

Does anyone think this is a great idea? A terrible idea? Or have they even attempted this?

Any suggestions on where to start? Online resources, personal observations, articles, etc.?

You should begin by researching Jim Sinclair, Temple Grandin especially. Jim Sinclair might be said to be the father (or intersex?) of autism advocacy. Grandin is probably one of the most well-known autistic people--and is used as a model of those on the Spectrum who have achieved much.

You will obtain a considerable amount of secondary source material that way.

Additionally: I would just write an impartial, objective piece, rather than one where YOU seem to be an advocate (at least at first).

If the professor seems receptive to you after you write your original piece, then I would express my advocacy.

What is Autistic Subculture?

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt157068.html
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt236122.html
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt203567.html

It might be interesting... but where does one observe autistic culture in particular? Typically that's something that would require a large number of people, such as a forum, program, social group, or retreat in this case.

I did a paper on autistic culture & identity for a social science class, since we had to pick an identity and write about its history, etc. My prof and TA loved it. So go for it, as long as it's on topic

MathGirl, I would love to read your paper if it's possible.

Asperger96, you should start with the methodology that you are going to use, so you can define the kind of interaction that you'll have with your paper and whether you will be in or out of it. If I was you, I'd consider autistic cyberculture - this group is an example, but you can also search for other ones on Facebook and so on.

Further suggestions depend on the focus that you want to give to your paper.

Very good suggestion.

I am wondering whether it is worthwhile to analyse the overlap between autistic cyberculture and open source software culture. I suspect that the latter culture may harbour a large number of aspies, even if many of the people involved in open source software don't publicly identify with autistic culture.

I think it is a good idea in the sense of being an interesting and not well understood subject. But two things to consider are 1) Do you wish to identify yourself to those whom the essay is for. 2) Its not an easy subject.

If you want to follow jbw's suggestion, then I recommend Gabriella Coleman's works about open source software culture (she also studies hackculture and her books/papers/interviews are great). Her book about open source is available online - I can't post the link, but just search on google for Coding Freedom pdf and you'll get it.

Yeah, I was going to say: I feel like, unless you are the parent of someone with this, then you don't really have a "culture." I feel like the only culture that I have with other Aspie's is online (this website). We are not like Deaf society, where we have our own language, culture and way of living (as a group).

I'd be pretty careful about something like this, especially if you do end up using a lot of input from people online.

Some people who say they have autism or self diagnose with autism online do it in good faith, because we (I am one of those people) really do think we have it, and benefit from resources and tips provided by other autistic people.

But lately, I've also seen a huge increase in people saying they have autism (whether self-dx or not) along with a dozen other things they've self diagnosed (everything from celiac disease to DID) and their primary motive in sharing all these personal details seems to be to win the oppression olympics. I'm super cynical about people like that.

What do you folks think about Jim Sinclair? Or Temple Grandin? Or even Alex Plank?

Aren't there autistic people having gatherings (in person, not online?) Wouldn't that constitute a "sub-culture?"

There's definitely a political consciousness amongst people with autism, which is tied into the "autistic subculture."

That is my question lol, I mean I consider myself a metalhead but there is an actual sub-culture for that...obviously it has its own music, sort of common clothing styles and what not associated with it, though its not like there is an exact standard of how to dress to be a metalhead. Its really more if you're into the music, go to concerts and are really into metal and support it.

But with autism its not like there is a common point of interest we have or a common thing with which to base a sub-culture on like with the metal thing.

I wouldn't suggest this because it would be hard to apply the process of anthropological fieldwork to autistic people. Simply taking a few examples of autistic people and trying to describe the culture from there is purely armchair anthropology. I'm saying this from a considerable base of experience in anthropology and years spent at UOP studying it amongst other interests.

Your professor would probably prefer that you find a setting where you can observe a particular group of people, hopefully take some notes or keep mental notes to write down later, and try participating as well. Anthropologists must participate in order to recognize foreign social constructs, they need to engage another group's frame of reference and try to abandon their own.

Moreover, I don't think it can be meaningfully said that autistic people have a subculture. We're talking about a highly individualistic group of people with tendencies towards being anti-social. Not only are we not clumped together but we actually come from a variety of "meta"-cultures, and even different subcultures. Think of the core elements your professor would have you look for. I am assuming that this professor, him or her, has mentioned things like symbols, rituals, norms, roles, personalities, rites of passage, etc. It would be hard to apply all of that to the idea of an autistic subculture. Do we have rites of passage? Do we engage in ritualistic behavior? Are there rules and norms we are expected to conform to? Are there generally recognized symbols by which we define ourselves?

What I see in the autistic subculture, if it can be said there is a subculture, is a group of people from a variety of different cultures who share similar issues and use some of the same terminology ("aspie", "NT", etc.). There is quite a bit of dissent, and of course there is dissent among other cultures and subcultures, but not to this degree. The differences in this community are to the point that I don't think this can be defined as culture in the traditional sense.