The Critical DAMN Studies Manifesto
Our projects will:
empower Dis/abled, Autistic, Mad, & Neurodivergent students, faculty, & staff.
work for DAMN emancipation from ableist, sanist, & neurotypist academic systems.
re-embody & redefine the “invisible” (illness, identity, oppressive structures).
model applied Critical DAMN Studies through DAMN-positive practice & pedagogy.
imagine & implement anti-oppressive systems in research & academia.
Initiatives
Critical DAMN-Positive Database Initiative
The purpose of this initiative is to compile intersectional literature from Critical Dis/ability Studies, Critical Autism Studies, Mad Studies, and Neurodiversity Studies to frame the theoretical foundation of Critical DAMN Studies, a novel and transdisciplinary area of study. This initiative will use scoping review methods to build upon an ongoing compilation of intersectional Critical DAMN Studies scholarship.
Relevant Articles
“The Disability Right’s Community Was Never Mine”: Neuroqueer Disidentification
Redefining Critical Autism Studies: a more inclusive interpretation
Let’s collaborate!
We are currently building capacity for these initiatives.
DAMN in the Academy Initiative
This project is a scoping review that seeks to understand the existing global and national landscapes of DAMN support structures in academia, specifically community support and academic infrastructure*.
Research Questions
What infrastructure exists for Dis/abled, Autistic, Mad, and Neurodivergent students, faculty, and staff?
What infrastructure exists for DAMN studies in academia?
How can we increase DAMN-positive structural support for better academic and research experiences?
Relevant Articles
The pedagogy of saneness: a schizoaffective storying of resisting sane pedagogy
Critical DAMN-Positive Database Initiative
Critical DAMN-Positive Scholarship Access Initiative
This project centers on a scoping review of existing pedagogy and praxis that espouses values of intersectionality and DAMN-positivity. This can span from Mad Studies Pedagogy to how to make accessible presentations. The aim is to develop a comprehensive collection of intersectional, DAMN-Positive tools to use in academic and research settings.
Research Question
How can we strengthen intersectional, DAMN-positive praxis at the university?
Relevant article
Unlearning through Mad Studies: Disruptive pedagogical practice
This project is a comparative analysis that will review available Critical DAMN and DAMN-positive scholarship at the NC State Libraries and compile a list of existing Critical DAMN and DAMN-positive sources for comparison.
Research Question
How can we strengthen access to intersectional, DAMN-positive scholarship at the university?