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Mathematically speaking normal is not the lowest common denominator, it is the distribution of a bell curve where average falls within the central tendency. I though all researchers would have known that. Lowest common denominator exists in fractions, however statistics are mostly calculated in decimals. Larry who never got beyond O level in maths. > -----Original Message----- > From: The Disability-Research Discussion List > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of > [log in to unmask] > Sent: 11 June 2008 03:32 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: CFP: The Fifth International Somatechnics > Conference: The Technologisation of Bodies and Selves > > As anyone who knows anything about mathmatics will tell you > the word 'normal' is the lowest common denominator therefore > in the UK 'normal' > signifies someone stupid enough to take as their source of > information from 'The Sun' or in the USA from 'Fox News'. > > Although people have been using wheelchairs for hundreds of > years it has been normal practice for educationalists to > build establishments that create physical barriers to prevent > wheelchair users from attending 'normal' schools thereby > excluding perhaps the people most in need of education. On > the whole this still applies to day, with teachers education > being so limited that they are only trained to teach 'normal' > children. > > It is normal for school educationalists to reject what is > known on how people learn, e.g. the human brain can only > absorb up to seven different chunks of information before it > overloads requiring on average a further ten minuets to > reflect on what is learned. It is currently understood that > the human (and perhaps primate) brain functions best when the > learning is associated with pleasure and not pain, yet the > educational system in the UK (and perhaps beyond) is more > geared up to mainly pointless exams in order to show that > their establishment is better than the next one and by these > exercises adding pain to the pupils rather than allowing real > learning which has to involve reflection. > > I hope none of my friends are normal as normal to me means > plain stupid! > > Keith > > > > >----Original Message---- > >From: [log in to unmask] > >Date: 10/06/2008 14:06 > >To: <[log in to unmask]> > >Subj: [DISABILITY-RESEARCH] CFP: The Fifth International Somatechnics > Conference: The Technologisation of Bodies and Selves > > > >The Fifth International Somatechnics Conference: The > Technologisation > >of Bodies and Selves > >Call for papers: Abstracts are invited for an international > >conference to be held in Sydney, Australia, on April 16th-18th > 2009. > >Abstracts should be 300-500 words and should be forwarded to A/Prof > >Nikki Sullivan at the address listed below. Proposals for panels > and > >for performance pieces are welcome. > > > > “Somatechnics” is a recently coined term used to highlight the > >inextricability of soma and techné, of the body (as a culturally > >intelligible construct) and the techniques (dispositifs and ‘hard > >technologies’) in and through which bodies are formed and > >transformed. This term, then, supplants the logic of the ‘and’, > >indicating that technés are not something we add to or apply to the > >body, but rather, are the means in and through which bodies are > >constituted, positioned, and lived. As such, the term reflects > >contemporary understandings of the body as the incarnation or > >materialization of historically and culturally specific discourses > >and practices. > > > >Possible topics: > > > >Somatechnologies of the self (‘non-mainstream’ body modification, > >body sculpting, performance, fashion, drug use, ‘self-mutilation’, > >religious practice, etc) > >medical somatechnologies (cosmetic, reproductive, imaging, > >corrective, sex (re)assignment, implantation, enhancement, bio- > techs, > >public health initiatives, etc) > >somatechnics of law > >somatechnologies of gender, sexuality, race, class, etc > >somatechnologies of normalcy and pathology > >somatechnics of war > >somatechnologies of the post-human (cyborgs, nanotechnology, > >virtuality, etc) > >soma-ethics > >Deadline for abstracts: November 30th 2008 > > > > > >Keynote Speakers include: > > > >Claudia Castaneda (Brandeis University) > > > >Nichola Rumsey (University of the West of England) > > > >Jennifer Terry (University of California, Irvine) > > > > > > > >Further information: > > > >The Somatechnics Conference Committee > > > >Somatechnics Research Centre > > > >Division of Society, Media, Culture and Philosophy > > > >Macquarie University > > > >North Ryde > > > >New South Wales 2109 > > > >Australia > > > > > > > >Email: [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask] > > > >Phone: +61 (0)2 9850 8760 > > > > > > > >Somatechnics Research Centre Website: http://www.somatechnics.mq.edu. > au > > > > __________________________________ > > > >Jessica Cadwallader > >Administrator > >Somatechnics Research Centre > >Division of Society, Culture, Media and Philosophy > >Macquarie University > >NSW 2109 Australia > >http://www.somatechnics.mq.edu.au > > > > > > > > > > > >________________End of message________________ > > > >This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the > Centre for > Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac. > uk/disability-studies). > >Enquiries about list administration should be sent to disability- > [log in to unmask] > > > >Archives and tools are located at: > >www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > >You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to > this web > page. > > > > ________________End of message________________ > > This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the > Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds > (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). > Enquiries about list administration should be sent to > [log in to unmask] > > Archives and tools are located at: > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to > this web page. > > ________________End of message________________ This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). Enquiries about list administration should be sent to [log in to unmask] Archives and tools are located at: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web page.