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Anti-Oppression: Anti-Sanism

 

Background What does saneism look like? Support Resources for Neurodivergent Folks Informational Resources for Allies

A note on the scope of this guide:

This guide is intended to provide general information about anti-oppression, diversity, and inclusion as well as information and resources for the social justice issues key to current dialogues within the Simmons Community. This guide is by no means an exhaustive list of anti-oppressive initiatives nor does it capture all of the many facets of the larger conversations about the issues listed here. This guide serves as an introduction to these issues and as a starting place for finding information from a variety of sources.

 

Background

Sanism (also called mentalism or neuro-discrimination) is prejudice plus power; anyone of any neurological condition can have/exhibit neurocognitive-based prejudice, but in North America (and globally), neurotypical people have the institutional power, therefore Sanism is a systematized discrimination, antagonism, or exclusion directed against neurodivergent people based on the belief that neurotypical cognition is superior. 

Sanism often stems from the "pathology paradigm [that] ultimately boils down to just two fundamental assumptions:

  1. There is one 'right,' 'normal,' or 'healthy' way for human brains and human minds to be configured and to function (or one relatively narrow 'normal' range into which the configuration and functioning of human brains and minds ought to fall).
  2. If your neurological configuration and functioning (and, as a result, your ways of thinking and behaving) diverge substantially from the dominant standard of  'normal,' then there is Something Wrong With You." (from Nick Walker)

Anti-Sanism is strategies, theories, actions, and practices that challenge and counter inequalities, prejudices, and discrimination based on neuro-cognitive condition or ability.

Anti-Sanism often cites and upholds "the neurodiversity paradigm, [which] is a perspective that recognizes neurodiversity as a naturally-occurring form of human diversity, like cultural diversity, racial diversity, gender diversity, diversity of physical ability, and diversity of sexual orientation. It follows these fundamental principles:

  1. Neurodiversity – the diversity of brains and minds – is a natural, healthy, and valuable form of human diversity.
  2. There is no 'normal' or 'right' style of human brain or human mind, any more than there is one 'normal' or 'right' ethnicity, gender, or culture.
  3. The social dynamics that manifest in regard to neurodiversity are similar to the social dynamics that manifest in regard to other forms of human diversity (e.g., diversity of race, culture, gender, or sexual orientation). These dynamics include the dynamics of social power relations – the dynamics of social inequality, privilege, and oppression – as well as the dynamics by which diversity, when embraced, acts as a source of creative potential within a group or society." (from Nick Walker)

 

   

What does sanism look like?

Sanist Microaggressions are commonplace verbal or behavioral indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults in relation to neurodivergence and/or mental health diagnoses. They are structurally based and invoke oppressive systems of a "normal cognition" hierarchy. Sanist Microinvalidations, Microinsults, Microassaults are specific types of microaggressions.

Note: The prefix “micro” is used because these are invocations of normalized cognition hierarchy at the individual level (person to person), where as the "macro" level refers to aggressions committed by structures as a whole (e.g. an organizational policy). "Micro" in no way minimalizes or otherwise evaluates the impact or seriousness of the aggressions.

Further Reading:

 

Image: stig-ma. a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one's reputation. Stigma erodes confidence that mental illnesses are real, treatable, health conditions. We have allowed stigma to erect barriers around effective treatment and recovery. It is time to take those barriers down. End the stigma. Change lives. Mental Illness Awareness Week Oct. 7-13.   Image: A tweet from @KTHopkins that reads "People with depression do not need a doctor and a bottle of something that rattles. They need a pair of running shoes and freshair." Tumblr user gryffindoreo responds "People with asthma do not need allergists and emergency inhalers, they need bicycle helmets and fish bowls. People with Ulcerative Colitis do not need a physician and anti-inflammatory medication, they need books and a light bulb. People with diabetes do not need an endocrinologist and insulin, they need a fishing rod and a bottle of nail polish. People with illnesses that they have no control over do not need properly educated health professionals and treatment options, they need completely arbitrary items that do not connect directly to their illness. People who are this ignorant about mental health need to be educated. This attitude towards receiving treatment and gaining proper diagnosis cannot be tolerated.   Image: Tumblr user jemeryl says "I have bipolar mood disorder and I get worried that I'm too reliant on my medication especially in the dosage goes up. Then I realized neurotypical people are just as reliant on the neurochemicals in my medication, it's just that their bodies produce it and mine doesn't, it's not that I'm a bad person and idk this realization seems to have really helped me understand and not feel so bad about it?" neshtasplace responds "Exactly!" mikkeneko responds "#if you can't make your own neurotransmitters, storebought is fine."

"Mentally Ill" statistics. Mentally ill populations are more likely to be robbed, assaulted, and raped.   Image: Screenshot of powerpoint slide that says "People with major mental illness are more likely than others to be victims of violence. • People with major mental illness are ~3-10 times more likely than the general public to report being a victim of violence. • People with major mental illness are ~3-7 times more likely to be a victim of homicide. • ~15-35% of people with major mental illness report being a victim of violence in the past year. NAMI PA, Main Line Copyright, 2014, Ingrid Waldron 13"

Support Resources for Disable & Differently Abled Folks

Coping Strategies

    Mindfulness 101 Infographic by Erin Human     Grounding Exercise: Observe your emotion, experience your emotion fully, you are not your emotion, practice love and respect for your emotion

Community Awareness & Support

"If you can't make your own serotonin, store-bought is fine."

Local & National Support Organizations

Informational Resources for Allies

Neurotypical Privilege

Neurotypical privilege refers to the unearned benefits that American society and many other societies and cultures accord to neurotypical people. This privilege is rooted in two cultural beliefs: 1) that "there is one “right,” “normal,” or “healthy” way for human brains and human minds to be configured and to function (or one relatively narrow “normal” range into which the configuration and functioning of human brains and minds ought to fall), and 2) that if your neurological configuration and functioning (and, as a result, your ways of thinking and behaving) diverge substantially from the dominant standard of  “normal,” then there is Something Wrong With You." (from Nick Walker). These beliefs or societal models mean that many cultures, including within the US, have set up social expectations, structures, cultural mores, and institutions to accommodate neurotypical people by default and that dismiss and/or marginalize the needs and experiences of neurodivergent people. Neurotypical privilege speaks to how not being (or not being perceived as being) neurodivergent means not having to think or address topics that those without neurotypical privilege have to deal with, often on a daily basis.

To give you an idea of neurotypical privilege, here are some examples of the benefits neurotypical people receive:

  • I can easily arrange to be in the company of people of my neurological condition.
  • If I have a medical problem, I do not worry that my doctor will dismiss it as part of my neurotypicality.
  • When attempting to purchase health insurance, I know that I will not be rejected because I am neurotypical.
  • I am not considered more dangerous and more likely to commit a crime because of my neurocognitive functions.
  • I can reveal my neurology to my boss and coworkers without fear of losing my job.

Further Reading: 

Neurotypical Fragility

Neurotypical fragility (drawing on white fragility in critical race theory) is rooted in a desire to restore and reproduce neurotypical normativity. It is a combination of lack of stamina in interrogating conceptualizations of neurocognitive configurations and functioning, as well as a resistance to challenging those conceptions, often react[ing] with defensiveness [and] forcing neurodivergent people to do the emotional labor of comforting the neurotypical person in addition to educating them. (adapted from Cis Fragility)

The dominant association between "normal" and "neurotypical" allows most neurotypical people to live in social environments that insulate them from challenging encounters with neurodivergence, neurodiversity perspectives, or people who differ from themselves. Within this dominant social environment, neurotypical people come to expect social comfort and a sense of belonging and that their perspective of "normal" is correct by default. When this comfort is disrupted, neurotypical people are often at a loss because they have not had to build skills for constructive engagement with neurodivergent people and their social perspectives. They may become defensive, positioning themselves as victims of anti-saneist work and co-opting the rhetoric of violence to describe their experiences of being challenged on neurotypical privilege. (adapted from "Christian Fragility")

Being a Supportive Ally

Being called out and called in C.L.A.I.M. acronym   Neurodiversity 101 Infographic   10 easy alternatives to common ableist language infographic   Image: A tumblr post by pulpgang which reads, "'real life doesn't have trigger warnings' imagine if supermarkets taking all of the allergy warnings off of all of the foods and then being like 'sorry sweetie, welcome to the real world *happy face*' when everyone started started going into anaphylactic shock." A reply by user "cheezitslut" in response reads, "or movies stop having previews or ratings and 5 year olds are crying in Quentin Tarantino movies and their parents are saying 'time to grow up *happy face*'. A response by user "vexj" is below which reads, "lmao sjws and their fuckin wet floor signs."   The anatomy of an apology infographic

PLEASE NOTE

This guide is being updated as of January 2024. Email library@simmons.edu for further information.

Books & Subject Headings

Relevant Subject Headings

Disclaimer

In an effort at full disclosure, it should be noted that the collaborators on this guide occupy some of the oppressed identities outlined here, but not all of them. We have attempted to bring together quality, relevant resources for the anti-oppression issues in this guide, but we are not immune from the limits and hidden biases of our own privileges and perspectives as allies.

We welcome and greatly appreciate any feedback and suggestions for the guide, particularly from the perspectives and experiences of the marginalized groups listed and not listed here.