my.evergreen.edu
Allan White
Education
B.A., The Evergreen State College, 2003
MA, The University of Exeter, 2008
Website
Biographical Note
After graduating from The Evergreen State College in 2003, I later went on to earn my MA in Experimental Archaeology, from the University of Exeter, in the United Kingdom. My MA degree came to fruition in January 2008. While at Evergreen, I was introduced to the social model of disability through an interdisciplinary program called Health and Human Development. Despite being a (neurodiverse) disabled person myself, I didn't at first think much of the social model of disability. My clinical diagnoses include a learning disability (NOS) with co-morbid psycho-motor impairments. While at TESC, I did not even consider any of my diagnoses to qualify as actual disabilities.
However, while residing in the UK, working towards my MA degree, I was subjected to a lot of exclusion and social snobbery from colleagues who did not understand my unique proclivities as a neurodiverse person. Moreover, the academic structure of the program was very oppressive and I gained very little from it, both academically and professionally, despite having earned fairly decent marks on my course. Stone Age technologies, and experimental archaeology have been long time passions of mine, and I was nothing more than a pariah in an academic program dedicated to these subjects. These experiences made me reflect on many things that I learned at TESC, regarding social interpretations of disability. This in turn prompted reflection on my earlier life struggles to integrate into society. It then quickly dawned upon me that my entire life exemplifies the social model of disability, despite my earlier lack of awareness of it. This in itself, I believe, is largely a product of society's brainwashing of the disabled to make us believe that it is our "personal responsibility" to "rise to the occasion", "play the hand we were dealt" and "overcome" our disability. Yet such an individualistic philosophy of personal responsibility only serves the status quo and negates the advancement of progressive social reforms which combat oppression of the disabled. This was a life-altering awareness for me.Toward the later half of my MA program, I began to read as much as I could on disability studies, and it all made sense to me.
Then after earning my MA, I yearned to do research and writing, but encountered many environmental barriers that impeded my progress towards that goal. Now that I am in better environmental circumstances, I have just now been able to publish my first book, which I had been working on for four years. This book, "Confessions of the Miner's Canary" is an autobiographical account of my adult life struggles to integrate into society given my neurodiversity. I wrote the book in accordance with the social model of disability, in the way that I emphasize the exogenous social barriers I have encountered as a neurodiverse person. In the final chapter, I discuss at length the feasibility of an unconditional basic income for America, and the potential of such a policy to serve as a catalyst for niche construction among neurodiverse adults.
My current aspiration is to author future books and articles which deal with social reforms in relation to neurodiversity in society.
Publication Type
Non-Fiction
Latest Publication Title
Confessions of the Miner's Canary
Publication Excerpt
Introduction:
“If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and to weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each human gift will find a fitting place”
─ MARGARET MEAD,
Sex and Temperament in
Three Primitive Societies
“It is a sin to waste talent; do not let your potential go to waste”. This simple but powerful advice, delivered to me from afar several years ago, at the age of 21, by a pen pal correspondents; a then middle aged social worker residing in Newington, Connecticut, became my catalyst for prompting a major life transition. Mr. DiTulio’s encouraging words were rendered in regards to my life situation at the time- living with my parents, in refuge from the outside world, disconnected from the established labor market and mainstream society. Taking the man’s words of wisdom firmly to heart, I endeavored to leave a netherworld of my creation, and embark on a quest to secure a precious jewel; an ever so elusive comfortable, dignified social niche. Yet in my relentless quest for this artificially scarce gem, I grew increasingly weary and abundantly familiar with processes by which our society callously squanders the potentialities of its members. The primary agency of this waste I refer to, resides not in the domain of individual choice and action, but rather in public policies grounded in a quasi-utilitarian logic, that primarily serve the interests of an elite capitalist ruling class, failing to take account of natural variation in human abilities, and it’s significance thereof, with regard to a given populations’ capacity to adapt to such disenfranchising societal conditions, and social institutions. Among those populations most vulnerable to prevailing social and economic conditions are those of whom; owing to unique organic variations and resultant functional differences, too often find that neoliberal capitalist modes of production have little or no economically viable purpose for them. This is an increasingly frequent reality among those of us who constitute the growing number of neurodiverse individuals in society. By neurodiverse, I am referring to those of us possessing a divergent brain wiring and chemis try, resulting in clinically recognized ‘disorders’ such as autism, ADD, dyslexia, mood disorders, schizophrenia, and other organic brain differences.
How did Evergreen help you in your career?
While attending Evergreen, intellectual seeds were planted which ultimately led to the development of my critical consciousness, in relation to my experience as a neurodiverse person inhabiting a neoliberal global capitalist world. It started with being introduced to the social model of disability during my second quarter. Then throughout the remainder of my time there, I studied under independent contract and was introduced to the work of Howard Gardener (re: Multiple Intelligence or MI theory) and Paulo Freire (re: concientization, praxis, and the banking concept of education vs. the problem posing model of education). These tools that I acquired at Evergreen have helped me to channel my anger over being an oppressed disabled person into writings, which I hope will make a positive difference in society.