Ask yourself or others these questions:
-
What does normality and culture identity to a person, a situation, a memory, an experience and questions and answers?
-
How has you view of normality and culture identity changed over time?
About Normality
What Bengt Nirje (1924-2006) did, writing the classic article in 1969 on the normality principle, was that he pointed out the institutional and political responsibility, to see to it, that every one of us could live normal lives. Nirje’s work also founded a lot of the ideas about Paralympics. In 1976 the first Paralympics in winter sports took place in Örnsköldsvik in Sweden, as a result of Nirje’s initiative and work since many years. Nirje had a background in the Swedish Red Cross and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Through experiences from refugee camps and working with children with cerebral paresis, Nirje received insights in how institution collectives experienced their situation, that is: fear for the future, insecurity, humiliation and not normal demands.
(Nirje, Bengt (1969). The normalization principle and its human management implications. In R. Kugel, & W. Wolfensberger (Eds.), Changing patterns in residential services for the mentally retarded. Washington, D.C.: President's Committee on Mental Retardation.)
Ninje's 8 planks
-Plank 1-
Normalization means a normal rhythm of the day.
-Plank 5-
Normalization calls for the valuing of individual choices.
-Plank 2-
Normalization implies a normal routine of life.
-Plank 6-
Normalization means living in a bisexual world.
-Plank 3-
Normalization means a normal rhythm of the year.
-Plank 7-
Normalization means applying normal economic standards.
-Plank 4-
Normalization calls for normal developmental experiences of the life cycle.
-Plank 8-
Normalization calls for living, learning and recreating in facilities similar to those others in the community enjoy.
