Neurodiversity and Society

Catalog description

Ever wonder why the same traits that get you sent to the principal’s office might land you a six-figure tech job - or leave you struggling to find any work at all? Why the intense focus that makes someone an exceptional researcher might make daily tasks feel impossible? Society is finally recognizing different ways of thinking and being - but this recognition comes with deep contradictions. While some workplaces now actively seek neurodivergent talent, others still demand rigid conformity. Mental health institutions once housed those seen as different; today, many face prison instead. Schools praise “neurodiversity” while still punishing students who can’t sit still. Through a sociological lens, we’ll examine how social background, cultural expectations, and institutional power shape who gets support versus surveillance, who gets accommodated versus excluded. From mental health and social movements to education and employment, from gender and sexuality to race and class, we’ll investigate how society is unevenly shifting from pathologizing differences to recognizing diverse ways of being human. We’ll examine who gets to define what counts as normal, who benefits from these definitions, and what happens to those who don’t fit. This course centers neurodivergent perspectives and welcomes students of all neurotypes.