Written by Hannah Dang with support from the DAC Team
“Towards a Politics of Embodied Expertise Social Movements, Knowledge, and Felt Politics”
Presented by Professor Michael Orsini, University of Ottawa Wednesday, March 20, 2024 4:00–5:30 P.M. UConn Storrs Campus, Susan V. Herbst Hall, Room 408
The University of Connecticut’s Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department was proud to welcome Michael Orsini, a professor in the Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies as well as the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa. There, he researches the varying approaches to policies concerning marginalized groups, whether it be in the government, the medical field, or others, connected to discrimination or other factors. To add on to his investigation of autism, HIV / AIDs, contested illnesses, and fat activism, Orisini is reportedly studying the role of emotions and stigmatization in different fields of study, ableism, feminism, and environmental studies.
On March 20, 2024, Professor Michael Orsini presented and forged a discussion with an ensemble of professors, faculty members, students, and more. According to the official poster released to promote the presentation, Orsini was introduced: “Orsini is a political scientist interested in how citizens affect health policy issues, especially regarding illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, that affect marginalized communities. He is currently completing a project, ‘contested illnesses,’ including autism and multiple chemical sensitivities. He also studies methods of citizen engagement and citizen participation, the role of the voluntary sector, and the influence of interest groups and social movements.”
To start off his lecture, Professor Orsini plugged a book that he and Christine Kelly were involved in editing, Dispatches from Disabled Country by Catherine Frazee. The book centers on the historical, political, and societal intricacies surrounding disability and disability studies. According to Orsini, the book is a must-read for understanding the role disability plays in every aspect of our lives, and, depending on our choices, it may impact the “conventional” narrative of disability. Following that, Orsini gave an overview of the topics he tapped into during his research: autism, contested illnesses (e.g. multiple chemical sensitivity, environmental illness, long Covid, etc.), and fat activism.
Because of his enriching presentation, I wished Orisini was permitted more time to go in-depth rather than streamlining his work, considering the amount of effort he must have put into researching three separate topics and synthesizing them under an umbrella topic.
FACULTY BIO: UOttawa Professor Michael Orsini
TWITTER: @OrsiniMichael
RELEASED WORKS:
Disability & Access Collective 