The term 'Dyslexia' can conjure up instantaneous confusion, concerning what exactly does it mean to be dyslexic, not only from the general public perspective, but from people who are dyslexics themselves. Furthermore, the scientific premise of dyslexia existing at all is hotly contested, for
example. Professor Julian Elliott's book The Dyslexic Debate 2014, vehemently contested that dyslexia does not exist at all; poor reading is all about bad teaching. More to the point, the notion of dyslexia has been highjack by middle class lazy children wanting to get a break in their exams. Elliott's book claims that there are no scientific foundations what so ever to make any reliable diagnosis of a dyslexic person. This has lead to Graham Stinger MP for Manchester Blackley who claims dyslexia was "cruel fiction" to cover up bad teaching.
Such protagonist go on to claim that bad teaching and its resulting poor literacy produce criminality and anti social behaviour. Thus to label children with a fictitious unscientific term such as dyslexia is wicked. On the other hand Professor John Stein, Oxford University, rebukes the notion that
dyslexia is a pseudo scientific fictitious and meaningless human syndrome. On the contrary, there has been a plethora of scientific research ranging from MRI scans to rigorous testing by neuro- psychologist to assess the characteristics of dyslexia. Dr Ross Cooper a dyslexic academic, is outraged and disappointed at the almost casual statements made by professionals about his right to be dyslexic. He argues there should be no "statement about us without us" 2015 Achievability.
As such the language of dyslexia takes on a discourse, a narrative of stories that allow people to take a position. For me, a person who is a dyslexic/mediator and trainer; it’s not about labels, it’s about the meaning associated with the label, its how that name carries it’s functionality, a kind of currency which can be spent within the social free market of practises. Michael Foucault 1926-1984 the phenomenal French 21st century modern philosopher, argued that truth is a relationship between knowledge and power. As Foucault’s discourse analysis would argue, it’s all about who has the power to the language, or to create or destroy the meanings within the narrative. So the notion weather dyslexia exist or has truth, is all about social control. If your brain happens to process information differently resulting in poor reading, you might find that this produces two very different social outcomes. The first, is a narrative of low intellect not having the brain power to be part of the "normal" human race, second that you are intelligent but process information in a different way, from the "norm". Thus the name dyslexia is vital in terms of routing the intellect within the subject. Below is an example cause and effect of what has happened when a scientific gaze is employed, in determining the reason why a child might not read very well.
In 1972 Dr Soorwood Jones the Assistant Principle Medical Officer of Child Psychiatry for The Greater London Council, diagnosed me to have Senior Maladjustment and Retardation. As a result, at the age of six, I spent three years in children's homes, namely, Earlsfield House and Blacksure Road, and at the age of nine, I was transferred to a Special Boarding School for Maladjusted Boys, Grafham Grange. This school was to be my home, until I reached the age of sixteen. For over twenty years of my early life, this label of retardation penetrated my soul and psyche, leaving me with a sense of shame and low self esteem. More to the point the diagnosis of Dr Jones of retardation and maladjustment was completely wrong. In fact I was not retarded at all, I was dyslexic. As a result of the original diagnosis of Dr Jones, I was placed within a scientific language of being educationally dysfunctional, never capable of learning very much at all. Well, Dr Jones, since your diagnosis, I have achieved both a BSc in Social Science and a MSc in Race and Ethnic Relations and Discrimination Law. The point I'm making here is that, the facts even though they appear to be based on science, are not only hotly disputed, they can be blatantly wrong or misleading.
Foucault’s regime of truth go’s some way in explaining why ideas of science change overtime. Which have more to do with power relations, then to do with pure unadulterated scientific measurements. The retarded discourse had a real world effect on me, and it's within this space that discrimination takes place. The narrative above neatly illustrates the importance to contribute to the language of ones existence. Failure to do so, leaves the individual and his or her's community, bereft of dignity and equality. As you can see the issue of dyslexia is very complicated on so many levels. Because very few dyslexics themselves have found a way to communicate a world view from our perspective. Which has power and meaning to create the vital balance necessary to counter very powerful scientific story's about us, who have become the "other".
The UK population is 64 million and there are 31.42 million people in work, which equates to 74.1% of the population. It is believed that there are 1 in 10 people on the dyslextic spectrum within the population. Which equate’s to over 3 million potential work opportunities available to dyslexics. The
Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), claims that 58.3% of learning disabilities fined work after leaving school. However it's very difficult to ascertain what exactly they mean by learning disability, compared to 60.5% to non disabled people. One would think that as dyslexics make up probably the larges single minority within the UK, 6.4 million, then there would be a plethora of information and statistical evidence covering our life choices in terms of work opportunities and retention and promotion. However, when researching for this article I naturally consulted the Government’s National Statistic archives, and typed in Dyslexia and Employment. I could not find any data on the subject matter at all. As a result, I find it difficult to imagine how the government can comply with its duty to promote equality under the Equalities Act 2010. Because the largest minority group within the UK virtually does not exist.
Also it's very important not to take any social condition in its isolation such as dyslexia, as we as a species share a collective of social meaning such as race, gender, and sexuality. For example, if you are a member of a black and ethnic (within the U.K.) community, at birth you are 48% likely to
be born into poverty (EHEC 2015). As a result when starting primary school, you are on average 1 year behind in language development, to non poverty children. Such foundations obviously impact on ones life chances and opportunities. In today's very surprising political upheaval namely Brexit
and the election of Donald Trump, to the US presidency, has revealed a startling divide between the have's and have' not, base on political and racial socio economic grounds. This has placed the world in a very dangerous and challenging space. The leading notion through this sometimes
discussing articulation of difference, was how president elect Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, both claimed that they are talking for the Poor White working classes that have been neglected previously by the political classes.
Marsh Mediation has believed for a very long time, that the notion of equality and diversity needed to dive into this real issue of divisions within the advance capitalist state. This has a type of truth and reconciliation, the type that averted a civil war in South Africa which Nelson Mandela negotiated at the end of apartheid in 1994. Mediation is the key to this global meltdown, as it's simple framework allows for the complexities of the dispute, to be put to one side (fore the time being) and allows for the disputing parties to put forward their positions (how they feel they have been wronged) in a sprit of finding a solution to the dispute. In mediation this is called venting. If this vital part is not done with skill and insight by the mediator, then the parties often fall back on a more legal perspective and a need to win at best, or all out war.
So the call for mediation is to build upon its well established and traditional mediation perspectives, such as Civil and commercial, Family and Community Mediation. It incorporates a more humanistic type of mediation service with an ambition to be global focus, a mediation service which is extremely talented and representative of the global communities in dispute. I started out by unpacking the issue surrounding dyslexia which might seam a bit odd to those now reading about global mediation. Well that what a dyslexic mind does, it has the capacity to find the phenomenal interconnected links and search out the patterns and associations. Dyslexia is a global issue, and it impacts on all within humanity. Be you a boy girl, man, women, it's doesn't matter what language or ethnicity you are, dyslexics will be a part of your community. As such by getting the reader to
think about the construction of the condition of dyslexic by those who hold the rains of it's discourse, we can clearly identify how a hidden voice, the dyslexic community it self, has been hidden from the debate.
As with the dyslexic issue of a hidden disability, we can identify how a global hidden voice of the poorest within our communities are being articulated for them, by a very powerful global elitism class. Mediators must find a way to help heal this emerging split of enlightenment philosophy, which will produce a discourse of polygenesis, that there exist two types of human species. Now is the time to develop the expertise to have mediators in every community working independently, as much as is possible form the establishment to resolve conflicts which will arise from the release of human emotion based on difference. Mediators need to work at ground level and be given the vital resources to develop a global service at a local level. The focus must be a all inclusive one that takes the whole of humanities accomplishments into consideration. And profits from them, in a
fairer distribution of the global wealth and the right to exist with equality and dignity. As the ultimate purpose of humanity is to ensure our survival, as appose to our destruction.
example. Professor Julian Elliott's book The Dyslexic Debate 2014, vehemently contested that dyslexia does not exist at all; poor reading is all about bad teaching. More to the point, the notion of dyslexia has been highjack by middle class lazy children wanting to get a break in their exams. Elliott's book claims that there are no scientific foundations what so ever to make any reliable diagnosis of a dyslexic person. This has lead to Graham Stinger MP for Manchester Blackley who claims dyslexia was "cruel fiction" to cover up bad teaching.
Such protagonist go on to claim that bad teaching and its resulting poor literacy produce criminality and anti social behaviour. Thus to label children with a fictitious unscientific term such as dyslexia is wicked. On the other hand Professor John Stein, Oxford University, rebukes the notion that
dyslexia is a pseudo scientific fictitious and meaningless human syndrome. On the contrary, there has been a plethora of scientific research ranging from MRI scans to rigorous testing by neuro- psychologist to assess the characteristics of dyslexia. Dr Ross Cooper a dyslexic academic, is outraged and disappointed at the almost casual statements made by professionals about his right to be dyslexic. He argues there should be no "statement about us without us" 2015 Achievability.
As such the language of dyslexia takes on a discourse, a narrative of stories that allow people to take a position. For me, a person who is a dyslexic/mediator and trainer; it’s not about labels, it’s about the meaning associated with the label, its how that name carries it’s functionality, a kind of currency which can be spent within the social free market of practises. Michael Foucault 1926-1984 the phenomenal French 21st century modern philosopher, argued that truth is a relationship between knowledge and power. As Foucault’s discourse analysis would argue, it’s all about who has the power to the language, or to create or destroy the meanings within the narrative. So the notion weather dyslexia exist or has truth, is all about social control. If your brain happens to process information differently resulting in poor reading, you might find that this produces two very different social outcomes. The first, is a narrative of low intellect not having the brain power to be part of the "normal" human race, second that you are intelligent but process information in a different way, from the "norm". Thus the name dyslexia is vital in terms of routing the intellect within the subject. Below is an example cause and effect of what has happened when a scientific gaze is employed, in determining the reason why a child might not read very well.
In 1972 Dr Soorwood Jones the Assistant Principle Medical Officer of Child Psychiatry for The Greater London Council, diagnosed me to have Senior Maladjustment and Retardation. As a result, at the age of six, I spent three years in children's homes, namely, Earlsfield House and Blacksure Road, and at the age of nine, I was transferred to a Special Boarding School for Maladjusted Boys, Grafham Grange. This school was to be my home, until I reached the age of sixteen. For over twenty years of my early life, this label of retardation penetrated my soul and psyche, leaving me with a sense of shame and low self esteem. More to the point the diagnosis of Dr Jones of retardation and maladjustment was completely wrong. In fact I was not retarded at all, I was dyslexic. As a result of the original diagnosis of Dr Jones, I was placed within a scientific language of being educationally dysfunctional, never capable of learning very much at all. Well, Dr Jones, since your diagnosis, I have achieved both a BSc in Social Science and a MSc in Race and Ethnic Relations and Discrimination Law. The point I'm making here is that, the facts even though they appear to be based on science, are not only hotly disputed, they can be blatantly wrong or misleading.
Foucault’s regime of truth go’s some way in explaining why ideas of science change overtime. Which have more to do with power relations, then to do with pure unadulterated scientific measurements. The retarded discourse had a real world effect on me, and it's within this space that discrimination takes place. The narrative above neatly illustrates the importance to contribute to the language of ones existence. Failure to do so, leaves the individual and his or her's community, bereft of dignity and equality. As you can see the issue of dyslexia is very complicated on so many levels. Because very few dyslexics themselves have found a way to communicate a world view from our perspective. Which has power and meaning to create the vital balance necessary to counter very powerful scientific story's about us, who have become the "other".
The UK population is 64 million and there are 31.42 million people in work, which equates to 74.1% of the population. It is believed that there are 1 in 10 people on the dyslextic spectrum within the population. Which equate’s to over 3 million potential work opportunities available to dyslexics. The
Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), claims that 58.3% of learning disabilities fined work after leaving school. However it's very difficult to ascertain what exactly they mean by learning disability, compared to 60.5% to non disabled people. One would think that as dyslexics make up probably the larges single minority within the UK, 6.4 million, then there would be a plethora of information and statistical evidence covering our life choices in terms of work opportunities and retention and promotion. However, when researching for this article I naturally consulted the Government’s National Statistic archives, and typed in Dyslexia and Employment. I could not find any data on the subject matter at all. As a result, I find it difficult to imagine how the government can comply with its duty to promote equality under the Equalities Act 2010. Because the largest minority group within the UK virtually does not exist.
Also it's very important not to take any social condition in its isolation such as dyslexia, as we as a species share a collective of social meaning such as race, gender, and sexuality. For example, if you are a member of a black and ethnic (within the U.K.) community, at birth you are 48% likely to
be born into poverty (EHEC 2015). As a result when starting primary school, you are on average 1 year behind in language development, to non poverty children. Such foundations obviously impact on ones life chances and opportunities. In today's very surprising political upheaval namely Brexit
and the election of Donald Trump, to the US presidency, has revealed a startling divide between the have's and have' not, base on political and racial socio economic grounds. This has placed the world in a very dangerous and challenging space. The leading notion through this sometimes
discussing articulation of difference, was how president elect Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, both claimed that they are talking for the Poor White working classes that have been neglected previously by the political classes.
Marsh Mediation has believed for a very long time, that the notion of equality and diversity needed to dive into this real issue of divisions within the advance capitalist state. This has a type of truth and reconciliation, the type that averted a civil war in South Africa which Nelson Mandela negotiated at the end of apartheid in 1994. Mediation is the key to this global meltdown, as it's simple framework allows for the complexities of the dispute, to be put to one side (fore the time being) and allows for the disputing parties to put forward their positions (how they feel they have been wronged) in a sprit of finding a solution to the dispute. In mediation this is called venting. If this vital part is not done with skill and insight by the mediator, then the parties often fall back on a more legal perspective and a need to win at best, or all out war.
So the call for mediation is to build upon its well established and traditional mediation perspectives, such as Civil and commercial, Family and Community Mediation. It incorporates a more humanistic type of mediation service with an ambition to be global focus, a mediation service which is extremely talented and representative of the global communities in dispute. I started out by unpacking the issue surrounding dyslexia which might seam a bit odd to those now reading about global mediation. Well that what a dyslexic mind does, it has the capacity to find the phenomenal interconnected links and search out the patterns and associations. Dyslexia is a global issue, and it impacts on all within humanity. Be you a boy girl, man, women, it's doesn't matter what language or ethnicity you are, dyslexics will be a part of your community. As such by getting the reader to
think about the construction of the condition of dyslexic by those who hold the rains of it's discourse, we can clearly identify how a hidden voice, the dyslexic community it self, has been hidden from the debate.
As with the dyslexic issue of a hidden disability, we can identify how a global hidden voice of the poorest within our communities are being articulated for them, by a very powerful global elitism class. Mediators must find a way to help heal this emerging split of enlightenment philosophy, which will produce a discourse of polygenesis, that there exist two types of human species. Now is the time to develop the expertise to have mediators in every community working independently, as much as is possible form the establishment to resolve conflicts which will arise from the release of human emotion based on difference. Mediators need to work at ground level and be given the vital resources to develop a global service at a local level. The focus must be a all inclusive one that takes the whole of humanities accomplishments into consideration. And profits from them, in a
fairer distribution of the global wealth and the right to exist with equality and dignity. As the ultimate purpose of humanity is to ensure our survival, as appose to our destruction.