Anthropologist Tom Pearson was devastated after his daughter Michaela was diagnosed with Down syndrome. When he began to examine that emotional response, he found himself wrestling with questions that have roiled his field for decades. Early anthropologists would often compare people of different backgrounds and abilities, asking questions like: How is one group different from another? Which one is stronger or smarter? And how do we understand people who don’t fit our expectations? This week, we talk with Pearson about his family’s story, and the evolution of our thinking on disability and difference.
If you liked today's show, be sure to check out these classic Hidden Brain episodes:
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Playing the Gender Card
You, But Better
The Influence You Have
What Twins Tell Us
The Power of Apologies
The Power of Mercy
What are the Odds?
This is Your Brain on Ads
Why We Hold on to Things
Loss and Renewal
Tribes and Traitors
Our Noisy Minds
The Fake Bride
Josh Gitelson: My Unsung Hero
One Head, Two Brains
Deb Pierce: My Unsung Hero
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