“Post-Autistic Economics” means……..?
December 4, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
“Post-autistic economics” (PAE)—which is the name for a movement that challenges the assumptions of neoclassical economics and incorporates ideas from sociology and psychology—-is not what most of us are thinking about when we hear the term “autisms” to describe the diversity of the autism spectrum. After referring to the term, Harvard economics professor Greg Mankiw notes this response from the parent of two autistic children:
I am not one of those who is perpetually offended by incorrect words or descriptions. In fact, I find most such people to be petty totalitarians-in-training.I did do a full stop, however, when I ran into the phrase “post-autistic economics.” As the father of two daughters with autism, it strikes me as a particularly odious phrase.
People with autism have enough difficulties without having their problems used as a punchline by intellectuals.
I fully understand that you did not invent the term, but a word of reproach for its inventors might be in order.
Thank you.[name withheld]
The unnamed writer sums up my own discomfort at the term “post-autistic economics.” As “autistic” in the notion of “post-autistic economics” seems to mean something like “self-absorbed,” the term seems to hark back to an older, psychogenic, and discredited definition of autism. Maybe this all seems not a big deal and a matter of semantics, but Professor Mankiw’s post is entitled “Autism and Economics“—-and there are many other more pressing questions to be considered when talking about this subject, and the money question most of all.
After following the links in your post and discovering that this inane term was coined by earnest young french economics students rebelling against their traditional curriculum, the whole thing struck me as pretty farcical. To the extent that their ideas ever catch on in the arcane world of university ecnomics departments, my guess is that they will abandon this misleading (and perhaps offensive to some) labelling of their “movement.” It seems they could just as easily have called their movement “post-blindness economics,” at least until the blind people objected to the fact that their disability should not be used as a metaphor for the alleged ignorance of economics professors…
My understanding is that it was named after a “post-autistic somethingorother” movement from the late 60s/early 70s, a time at which “autistic” in its neurodevelopmental sense would have been rarely used outside clinical literature and discussions. That suggests that it comes from an older usage of the term rather than directly from the neurodevelopmental usage (e.g. Gordon Allport’s The Nature of Prejudice, published in the mid-50s, uses the term “autistic thinking” in a context unrelated to autism). So the term may be fairly harmless.
At least according to this source ( http://www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/truecosteconomics/post-autistic.html ) the term was coined (and fairly recently) to in reference to the neurodevelopmental disorder rather than the classical sense of the term. Either way, it doesn’t seem to be a particularly good choice of word for what they appear to be trying to get at.
Regardless of its etymology, using it today is not acceptable.
This is not as bad as German lawmakers who call their opponents autistic as an insult
I first encountered the term awhile ago and have never quite been able to make sense of it—-have a better idea now.
In July 2001 PAE (post DSM-IV) had a meeting in the USA. Their primary points from that meeting were:
1. A broader conception of human behavior.
2. Recognition of culture.
3. Consideration of history.
4. A new theory of knowledge.
5. Empirical grounding.
6. Expanded methods. Procedures such as participant observation, case studies and discourse analysis should be recognized as legitimate means of acquiring and analyzing data alongside ….
7. Interdisciplinary dialogue.
I am confused why the ASD community would not want to be aligned with these goals.
Why? a better world is autistic not post autistic as it would be after the autism speaks inspired autistic genocide
So I would suppose that you are against ND? That is what PAE is suggesting, a ND approach to economic theories and thinking.
We ought to contact the PAE society and apprise them of the confusion their name is causing.
> I am confused why the ASD community would > not want to be aligned with these goals.
Their goals might or might not be desirable. But their desirability is entirely beside the point.
They are calling their intellectual opponents “autistic” as an insult. This is outrageously offensive. End of story.
What they are doing is saying the current “classical” thinking is too close minded and completely unaccepting of different thought process much like how society in general sees autism. If you fully believe that the societal view of autism is acceptable, I can see how you would see PAEs views as offensive.
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Chuck said: What they are doing is saying the current “classical” thinking is too close minded and completely unaccepting of different thought process much like how society in general sees autism.
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Whether I agree with society’s view of autism is completely irrelevant. They are using “autistic” as an insulting synonym for self-absorbed and narrow minded. And they think that this makes them awfully clever.
Why shouldn’t I be offended by that?
You are more then welcome to be offended by anything you want. I had some exposure to PAE prior to being a parent. You can interpret their intent however you want. I find nothing wrong with their name.
We will agree to disagree at this point.