What's wrong with Me?: An Autoethnographic Investigation of the Co-Cultural Communicative Practices of Living with Tourette Syndrome during Adolescence

Authors

Mark Congdon Jr., University of MaineFollow

Abstract

Using an Autoethnographic methodology, this essay explores how I was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. My experience illustrates a dynamic and difficult process of understanding and negotiating assimilation, using a variety of communication strategies related to self-perception, perceptions of others, and interactions with others. Using Co-Cultural theory (CCT) as a theoretical framework, three themes emerged from my experience: (1) nonassertive assimilation: negotiating with relationships of authority, (2) aggressive assimilation: negotiating relationships with peers, and (3) nonassertive separation: the convergence of negotiating relationships of authority and with peers. It is my hope that my story expands the awareness and conversation among and within academia regarding the influence that dominant cultural groups, norms, and labels have on the experience of adolescence living with TS as it relates to educational experiences.

Keywords

Autoethnography, CoCulturalTheory, Tourette Syndrome, Bullying, Identity, Disability, Education, Discrimination, Adolescence

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements are given to Dr. Cerise Glenn, Dr. Chris Poulos, and Roger H. Pender Jr.

Publication Date

12-15-2014

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1411

Recommended APA Citation

Congdon, M. (2014). What's wrong with Me?: An Autoethnographic Investigation of the Co-Cultural Communicative Practices of Living with Tourette Syndrome during Adolescence. The Qualitative Report, 19(50), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1411