[nabs-l] Blindness vs. Other Minority Groups

[Marc Workman]

Sean wrote,
it seems to me that, when you get right down to it, a whole lot of what we
deem acceptable and unacceptable  - a large part of the foundation of our
society - is based on nothing more than a general approval or disapproval of
it among the populous, and, if you feel that we ought not to be telling
blind kids not to rock or bob, there are a whole slew of other things we
ought not to be telling folks in general to do or not do.

I think you're right that the argument potentially has far-reaching implications.  I'm not sure that this isn't a good thing though.  Part of what drives my thinking is seeing an analogy with the experiences of other minorities.  I said a bit about race, but I think gender works as well.  Consider the example of a woman not shaving her legs.  This is something that can cause discomfort and even disgust among men and women alike.  I think it's a fairly well-entrenched social norm that women will shave their legs, particularly when wearing shorts or skirts.  Now if a woman who chooses not to shave her legs has significantly diminished social and professional opportunities as a result, this just strikes me as wrong.  And the solution isn't to get the woman to shave her legs, it's to break down the rigidity of the norm.  Extending that further, if a person with male biology chooses to dress the way women typically dress, that person is more likely to be socially isolated, to have limited professional opportunities, to experience physical and verbal abuse, and to contemplate and attempt suicide.  This again strikes me as obviously wrong, and the fault is with the rigidity of the gender norms and their overt and subtle enforcement.  So I would say that many of our social norms ought to be challenged and broken down.  Wether eating salad with ones hands is among these, I can't really say.  Some social norms are not strictly a matter of convention; they are based on health concerns.  It may be that eating with one's hands increases the likelihood of spreading germs and disease and can be discouraged on those grounds.  Personally, though, I think a little relaxation of the norms around the dinner table wouldn't be a terrible thing.

The use of the phrase "foundation of our society" makes me wonder if it isn't being suggested that social norms are necessary for a society to exist or function.  I really don't know.  It seems likely that we need to share in common at least some expectations about how others will behave.  But I am really confident that at least some norms do serious damage and ought to be challenged, and I'm pretty confident that it would be better for everyone if most norms were at least relaxed.  Among these, I would include the sorts of ones related to blindness that we've been discussing.

Cheers,

Marc
On 2011-11-20, at 3:52 PM, Sean Whalen wrote:

> I have been reading threw the portion of this thread related to concealing
> aspects of oneself and/or changing behavior to fit into the mold of what is
> considered "normal" by society. It is a very interesting question, and I
> find the arguments advanced by Marc and Arielle quite persuasive. I can't,
> however, shake the feeling that blind kids should be discouraged from
> rocking or engaging in other behavior that is considered outside the
> mainstream.
> 
> 
> 
> First, let me say, I couldn't agree more that the call for blind folks to
> hide their eyes if they look abnormal is misguided, and, frankly, fairly
> offensive. I am 100% on board with the notion that we need not, and in fact
> should not, hide part of what and who we are simply for the comfort or
> convenience of others. If somebody wants to wear sunglasses that is entirely
> their decision, and there is absolutely no problem with it, but nobody ought
> to be suggesting that anybody do so for anybody else's benefit.
> 
> 
> 
> Regarding the question of so called "blindisms," I tend to agree with Greg
> that we have precious little choice but to be pragmatic about the issue and
> dissuade blind folks from rocking, poking, etc., if we want them to be set
> up to compete and succeed socially and professionally. I might cede the
> point that, in an ideal world, folks wouldn't be judged on such ultimately
> inconsequential attributes. However, if I were to grant this point, I would
> do so with some reluctance. How far does this go by logical extension? What
> if I like to eat my pasta and salad with my hands rather than a fork and
> knife? Should people just accept that and move on, or is there some real
> value in conforming to social norms there? The same question could just as
> easily be asked regarding a sighted child who prefers to eat with his hands.
> Is that Ok? Would an ideal society accept that as something that harms
> nobody; merely a personal preference to be respected? I don't see how the
> answer to the former can be "yes," and the latter "no." Maybe that's Ok, but
> it seems to me that, when you get right down to it, a whole lot of what we
> deem acceptable and unacceptable  - a large part of the foundation of our
> society - is based on nothing more than a general approval or disapproval of
> it among the populous, and, if you feel that we ought not to be telling
> blind kids not to rock or bob, there are a whole slew of other things we
> ought not to be telling folks in general to do or not do.
> 
> 
> 
> Finally, related to nonverbal communication, you won't catch me dropping fat
> cash on modeling classes in the hopes of appropriately arching my eyebrows
> at just the right moment, but I think the basics are important. As has been
> said, many facial expressions are built in. I have never been taught how to
> look happy, sad, or irritated, but when I feel it, I look it. Perhaps this
> is different for everybody, but some basic animation in the face seems to
> come pretty naturally. And, for the record, I have never seen a face.
> 
> 
> 
> Facing somebody when in conversation and shaking hands when introduced would
> seem to fall into the realm of common courtesy. They're social norms, to be
> sure, but I see absolutely no reason that blind individuals shouldn't be
> expected to adopt these norms like anybody else. I am not saying that
> anybody has argued that we shouldn't be expected to do so, but we should. If
> I meet somebody and they don't offer a hand, barring some obvious reason not
> to, it seems rude. This ties back into the above point that once we accept
> that some people will rock, etc., we might have to accept a lot of other
> actions, or lacks of action, based on the same rationale.
> 
> 
> 
> Take care,
> 
> 
> 
> Sean
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mworkman.lists%40gmail.com