Fall 2021

Quirky Citizenship: Autism in the Political Imagination

Listed in: Political Science, as POSC-412

Faculty

Kristin Bumiller (Section 01)

Description

This course will explore how autism as both a medical diagnosis and a social category has gained significance over the past forty years. The course will situate the study of autism in the broader framework of the disability rights movement. We will consider the evidence for its characterization as an “epidemic” and how medical experts, parents, and autistic individuals have challenged and collaborated with each other. The study of autism will also be viewed in relation to wide-ranging political concerns, including vaccination and public health, economic costs of care, gender identities, and the growth of bio-medical power.

This course fulfills a requirement for the Five College Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice (RHRJ) certificate.

Requisite: An Introductory course in POSC or its equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Bumiller.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Independent research project, group work, readings, written work, oral presentations. Students with documented disabilities who will require accommodations in this course should be in consultation with Accessibility Services and reach out to the faculty member as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations can be made in a timely manner.
POSC 412 - L/D

Section 01
Tu 01:30 PM - 04:00 PM SCCE A013

This is preliminary information about books for this course. Please contact your instructor or the Academic Coordinator for the department, before attempting to purchase these books.

ISBN Title Publisher Author(s) Comment Book Store Price
​Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism ​Vintage, 2006 ​Temple Grandin Amherst Books TBD
​Multiple Autisms: Spectrums of Advocacy and Genomic Science ​University of Minnesota Press, 2015 ​Jennifer Singh Amherst Books TBD
​Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity ​Avery, 2016 ​Steve Silberman Amherst Books TBD
​Understanding Autism: Parents, Doctors, and the History of a Disorder ​Princeton University Press, 2013 ​Chloe Silverman Amherst Books TBD
​Vaccine Court: The Law and Politics of Injury ​NYU Press, 2016 ​Anna Kirkland Amherst Books TBD

These books are available locally at Amherst Books.

Offerings

2024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021