The Western disease contesting autism in the Somali diaspora / Claire Laurier Decoteau.
| Author/creator | Decoteau, Claire Laurier |
| Format | Electronic |
| Publication Info | Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2021. |
| Description | x, 267 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Full text available from eBooks on EBSCOhost |
| Subjects |
| Portion of title | Contesting autism in the Somali diaspora |
| Portion of title | Autism in the Somali diaspora |
| Contents | The "Western disease" -- A postcolonial theory of autism -- Uneven landscapes of care -- Approaching autism otherwise -- Political and epistemic mobilization -- Vaccine skepticism and the accumulation of distrust -- The microbiome and postcolonial critique -- Centering the margins. |
| Abstract | "Autism has become an all-too-common diagnosis here in the United States. Typically diagnosed in early childhood, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is identified based on developmental delays in three areas: language, social skills, and particular behaviors. But what Americans know and think about autism is shaped by our social relationship to health, disease, and our country's medical system. The Western Disease explores the ways that Somali recent immigrants make sense of their children's diagnosis of autism. Having never heard of the disease before migrating to North America, they often determine that since autism doesn't exist in Somalia, it must be a Western disease. Many even believe it is Somalis' forced migration to North America that has rendered their children vulnerable to the development of autism. As Decoteau shows, autism--as a category, identity, and diagnosis--does not exist in Somalia because the infrastructure for its emergence is absent. When Somalis say that autism does not exist in Somalia, however, they mean that the disorder is Western in nature--that it is caused by environmental and health conditions unique to life in North America. Following Somali parents as they struggle to make sense of their children's illness and advocate for alternative care, Decoteau untangles the complicated ways immigration, race, and class affect the Somali relationship to the disease, and how this helps us understand our distinctly American approach to healthcare"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Access restriction | Available only to authorized users. |
| Technical details | Mode of access: World Wide Web |
| Genre/form | Electronic books. |
| LCCN | 2020051198 |
| ISBN | 9780226545752 (cloth) |
| ISBN | 9780226772257 (paperback) |
| ISBN | (ebook) |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |