Seeking ‘the New Normal’? Troubled Spaces of Encountering Visible Differences in Warsaw

• Authors: Aneta Piekut , Ulrike M. Vieten , Gill Valentine
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In times of globalisation and super-mobility, ideas of normality are in turmoil. In different societies in, across and beyond Europe, we face the challenge of undoing specific notions of normality and creating more inclusive societies with an open culture of learning to live with differences. The scope of the paper is to introduce some findings on encounters with difference and negotiations of social values in relation to a growing visibility of difference after 1989 in Poland, on the background of a critique of normality/normalisation and normalcy.On the basis of interviews conducted inWarsaw, we investigate how normality/normalisation discourses of visible homosexuality and physical disability are incorporated into individual self-reflections and justifications of prejudices (homophobia and disabilism). More specifically we argue that there are moments of ‚cultural transgressions’ present in everyday practices towards ‚visible’ sexual and (dis)ability difference.

Keywords

EN

difference; visibility; normalisation; sexuality; Disability; Warsaw; Poland

• Publisher: Polskie Towarzystwo Socjologiczne
• Journal: Polish Sociological Review
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 188
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 541-558

Dates

published

2014-12-31

Contributors

author

Aneta Piekut

• University of Sheffield

author

Ulrike M. Vieten

• University of Luxembourg,

author

Gill Valentine

• University of Sheffield