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ESS presidential address, 1995—invisible differences: On the management of children in postindustrial society

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Sociological Forum

Abstract

Drawing on data gathered through qualitative techniques, I suggest that the management of problems faced by children with a specific invisible neurological difference, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, teaches us about problematic areas of postindustrial society. I pay particular attention to how members of the children's and parents' separate moral universes assign stigma and to such behavioral-management techniques as patterned scheduling and “super-momming.” The problematic areas of contemporary life that I identify include the call for social conformity in the face of an ostensible demand for flexible social arrangements.

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Presidential Address delivered to Eastern Sociological Society, Philadelphia, PA, April 1, 1995.

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Tuchman, G. ESS presidential address, 1995—invisible differences: On the management of children in postindustrial society. Sociol Forum 11, 3–23 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02408299

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