My Place and The Transition: My Mother’s Arms. It is my intention to depict the differing views through history regarding the body and mind, and how they are synonymous with the changing view towards the mother’s arms with maturity – from infancy to childhood to adulthood – through the acquisition of intelligence, thought, and independence. With the development of a child, comes a certain independence from its mother – a certain autonomy – as a mother’s arms become more a place of comfort, and not such a place of necessity. Objective: – A study of the views regarding the body, mind, and consciousness. – Development of free will, emotional self, intellect, imagination. – The differing roles of males and females. Sources: Aristotle Descartes, Rene, Meditations On First Philosophy Vesey, V N A., Body And Mind
Category: 2004
Aims & Objectives: • To examine the way that people on the Autism Spectrum fit into the norms of society and the way that this has affected their identity. • To identify the changing attitudes that have arisen in respect to Autism and the way they have affected inclusion of people with the disorder over time. Structure: I will begin by introducing the notions of self and identity; looking at the structure of society and how a persons identity is developed in response to the prevailing structures. I will then progress to looking at the changing attitudes towards madness from the middle Ages to Modernity. This work will be the foundation for my genealogy of Autism, which will then be the basis on which to examine Autism and its identity in relation to society; the changes that have occurred and the way that these changes have affected the ability of someone with Autism to be part of the society in which they live. The final section of this work will be a case study examining one particular child with Autism; how his identity fluctuates, how he is perceived by those around him, and how this affects his being in respect to the society that he is a part of. Territory: The territory for this work will be the Autism Spectrum and ‘society’. Sources: The main source for this work in respect to society and its perceptions of people with a mental illness will be Michel Foucault’s Madness & Civilization. Wendy Lawson will be one of my most important sources in regards Autism. However, many others from the fields of philosophy, sociology and psychology will be used to support, and elaborate on my ideas.