Cognitive Disability Aesthetics

This incisive academic work tackles the profound invisibility of cognitive difference in our cultural landscape, shifting the focus of disability studies from the body to the mind. Benjamin Fraser's analysis confronts the theoretical and historical neglect of conditions like autism, Down syndrome, Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia, arguing that their frequent absence from public discourse is a critical social justice issue. The book meticulously charts a "second-wave" in the field, prioritizing cognitive experiences to challenge the very frameworks we use to understand personhood and ability.

Fraser’s research is distinctive for its interdisciplinary scope, weaving together cultural criticism, film, literature, and social theory to demonstrate how cognitive disability is systematically overlooked. Readers interested in the ethics of representation, neurodiversity, and the politics of visibility will find a powerful, paradigm-shifting argument here. This is not just an academic text but a crucial intervention that reframes how we see—and fail to see—the minds around us.