The precariat is a good name for a band. Autism, employment and the creative industries

Authors

Abstract

This research reflects on the relationship between autism and the creative industries, using my own individual lived experience as an autistic researcher and creative to examine what it means to be autistic and working in an area that can be precarious, unpredictable and challenging. As precarious employment becomes an increasing reality for graduates, the forces that shape the narratives around autism, also influence employment and higher education policy. The dominant socioeconomic models and apparatus act covertly promoting individual responsibility as freedom, and precarious work as opportunity. Using my own positionality as an autistic researcher as a starting point, this research builds on the idea of Milton (2012) and the double empathy problem, alongside the double hermeneutics model to utilise an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) informed approach to gather and analyse the lived experiences of autistic individuals in the creative industries. My own autistic world view, whilst being something to be mindful of provides a unique perspective on the research process and wider understanding. Seeking shared experiences rather than homogenised truth the research identifies the impact that social networks, location and mentors have in developing and maintaining a career in the creative industries. The thesis discusses how the experiences of autistic individuals can challenge stereotypes in favour of a more nuanced understanding of autism, one that rejects the deficit model that still informs aspects of autism research, where objective truth is sought and favoured over subjective experience.

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