Today in class, I was struck by what a discussion of sensorial experience and embodiment might imply--and perhaps, what it does not always acknowledge: the presence of a "normative" body. This body, we assume, functions within a range of ableist notions of what is and is not normative for bodies in space.
What is ableism? Lydia X.Z. Brown defines ableism as the following:
"Ableism
1. Oppression, prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination against disabled people on the basis of actual or presumed disability.
2. The belief that people are superior or inferior, have better quality of life, or have lives more valuable or worth living on the basis of actual or perceived disability."
A discussion of sensorial practice is not automatically an ableist discussion, but assuming that every body hears, sees, and experiences sensorial transmission in a similar way can quickly become one. So when we think about embodiment, sound and sense, what kinds of bodies are we considering? Even more than that, how can Kate Crawford's notion of "listening in" help us to think about the experiences of all bodies? Paraphrasing Couldry, she reminds us that listening is a kind of "intersubjective process." In my mind, this kind of intersubjectivity can be conceived as a kind of network. Our bodies--regardless of ability--are engaged in this network with one another. Perhaps this network of subjectivity to subjectivity, individual to individual, can be thought of as another way to experience embodiment.
In this configuration then, embodied listening becomes a way to honor the bodies around us, and more importantly, to listen to what they have to say.
What might this process of embodied listening actually look like? Turning to Crawford's work once more, I would like to focus on one exemplary concept: her notion of background listening (83). Background listening is the process of "tuning in/out" to an online space in which "commentary and conversations continue as a backdrop throughout the day, with only a few moments requiring concentrated attention" (82). Why might this process matter in the experience of intersubjective listening as embodied listening?
I suggest that if we are able to use the "commentary and conversations" of others as a backdrop to our experiences in online space, those contributions by individuals with bodies that represent a range of experiences will help to change the landscape of what we assume are normative abilities. For example, Ben Mattlin's powerful piece for the New York Times illuminates the range of what normative is for every individual and becomes a form of background listening I can use to better understand his experience. I realize this is a far from perfect solution. As I write this I'm aware of how I am still falling into the rhetoric of normative versus "different" bodies, which seems to be the binary I'm seeking to overcome. Still though, perhaps it's a move in the right direction.
Citations:
Brown, Lydia X.Z, "Definitions," Autistic Hoya (Blog), Accessed August 31 2018, https://www.autistichoya.com/p/definitions.html.
Crawford, Kate, "Following You: Disciplines of Listening in Social Media," in The Sound Studies Reader, ed. Jonathan Sterne, New York City: Routledge, 2012.
Mattlin, Ben, "Cure Me? No Thanks," New York Times March 22, 2017, accessed August 31 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/22/opinion/cure-me-no-thanks.html.
Image Credit:
https://medium.com/parkinsons-uk/how-many-people-have-parkinsons-61d04979a770
Image Credit:
https://medium.com/parkinsons-uk/how-many-people-have-parkinsons-61d04979a770
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