Empire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism

‘Groundbreaking  ... [provides] a deep history of the invention of the “normal” mind as  one of the most damaging and oppressive tools of capitalism. To read it  is to see the world more clearly’ Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribes

‘Argues  that a radical politics of neurodiversity is necessary, not only for  neurodivergent folk, but for our collective liberation’ Professor Hel Spandler, editor, Asylum magazine

‘A vital book that kindles the flames of a neurodivergent revolution’ Beatrice Adler-Bolton, co-author of Health Communism

Neurodiversity  is on the rise. Awareness and diagnoses have exploded in recent years,  but we are still missing a wider understanding of how we got here and  why. Beyond simplistic narratives of normativity and difference, this  groundbreaking book exposes the very myth of the ‘normal’ brain as a  product of intensified capitalism.

Exploring the rich  histories of the neurodiversity and disability movements, Robert  Chapman shows how the rise of capitalism created an ‘empire of  normality’ that transformed our understanding of the body into that of a  productivity machine. Neurodivergent liberation is possible – but only  by challenging the deepest logics of capitalism. Empire of Normality is an essential guide to understanding the systems that shape our bodies, minds and deepest selves – and how we can undo them.