Geographies of Impulse : Tourette Syndrome and the embodied experience(s) of public space

Abstract

Tourette Syndrome, characterised by impulsive vocal and motor tics, is of increasing interest to researchers, and the experiences had by Tourettic folks are distinct. With the nuance and complexity of ticcy experiences, an interdisciplinary approach is required. Through taking an interdisciplinary crip approach to disability, drawing upon participatory practices, medical sociology, geographical, bioethical, and crip influences, the thesis aims to bring to light these distinct experiences that are had by Tourettic adults in and around public spaces, in both the physical and digital realms. Through careful analysis of the stories told by the project’s participants, the research found that experiences in and around public spaces occur in ways that relate to chance encounters. The material and immaterial elements of public spaces contribute the Tourettic encounters that might occur in them, and the way that Tourettic adults manage and strategically respond to these encounters in creative ways is distinct from non-disabled people. These processes highlight the various ways in which Tourettic people are othered in both physical and digital public spaces, which contributes to increased levels of loneliness within the Tourettic community. With loneliness a distinct part of the Tourettic experience, the research highlights the need for better spaces of support for adults, and problematises those that already exist. In doing so, it offers the example of the zineing workshop space as a site for the facilitation of solidarity and community building within the Tourettic community. The results of the research offer steps forwards in producing data that highlights the need for further consideration of adults with Tourette Syndrome, not only in regard to the design and provision of support services but also conceptually within academic research spaces. In doing so, it also offers the case for a geography of impulse, whereby concepts of impulse can be applied more broadly in the study of public spaces and the processes that happen within and around them.