My Autism Mommy Work: Community-based Carework and Embodied Health Social Movements

• In Event: 106 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 09. Mobilization and Politicization

Abstract

Drawing on fifty in-depth semi-structured interviews with primary caregivers of children diagnosed with autism, I detail how autism carework expands beyond the home and family to include extensive community-based advocacy interventions, such as public health campaigning and fighting for educational reforms. In doing so, this paper considers autism caregivers as key agents, and advocacy carework as an important ground, in embodied health social movements (EHSMs). Specifically, this paper aims to: 1) advance the literature on advocacy carework and embodied health social movements, using the empirical case of autism, while 2) highlighting the tensions within the caregiver community, which helps to understand important limits for EHSMs.

Author

• Cara A. Chiaraluce, Santa Clara University