Regimes of normativization: reconsiderations of assistive technologies with Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”

Abstract

This article delves into Kurt Vonnegut’s "Harrison Bergeron" to examine the profound implications of assistive technologies within the context of normativity. While Vonnegut’s narrative unfolds in a dystopian future where "desistive devices" are used to enforce equality, Vonnegut’s insights subtly underscore the intricate facets of othered-being that challenge the normativity of assistive technologies. Drawing from the insights of crip studies, this examination argues that assistive technologies often perpetuate and idealize normative bodymind ideals, presenting a consistent framing of the normative human. Through a discourse analysis, this study demonstrates how assistive technologies, despite their variability in individual experiences, embody a normative rationality of human, mindbody existence. These technologies, rather than accommodating diversity, tend to impose a particular standard of "normalcy." In conclusion, the analysis proposes a departure from this normative trajectory. It advocates for a future direction in assistive technologies that fosters and embraces "aberrant-being." By challenging established norms and persistently questioning the constructs of normativity, assistive technologies can evolve to engage with aberrant-being and enliven cripped-embodiment. This exploration paves the way for a more inclusive and diverse future in assistive technology, where human differences are cherished rather than subdued.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• This piece highlights the need for a critical examination of the normative underpinnings within the field of assistive technologies, emphasizing that these technologies often perpetuate societal norms and may inadvertently limit the diverse experiences of individuals with disabilities.

• It calls for a shift in the design and implementation of assistive technologies, advocating for a more individualized approach that moves beyond accommodationism and grapples with the multiplicity of beingness that disability invokes.

• By drawing from the insights of crip studies and the critique of normativity in Kurt Vonnegut’s "Harrison Bergeron," this piece invites the field of assistive technologies to challenge established norms, embrace othered invocations of being, and embrace the rich tapestry of human experiences, regardless of their deviation from traditional notions of ability and functionality.

Keywords:

• Crip studies
• Kurt Vonnegut
• assistive technology
• normativity
• epistemology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.