Green Templeton Lectures 2014: The Tyranny of the Normal

Peter Keen, Director of Sport at Loughborough University, gives a talk for the 2014 Green Templeton College lecture series The traditional narrative of Olympic success emphasises hard work, discipline and sacrifice but above all the unique talents of medal winners. Does this stand up to scrutiny? Peter Keen provides an insider's synopsis of the life journeys of successful athletes, from which a number of generalisations will be explored concerning the nature of human performance and the apparent need for mastery and autonomy for humans to feel fulfilled.

Societal interest in 'looks' has a long history. Until recently, this interest has been considered largely benign: however, norms of appearance have become progressively more extreme and are now unattainable for the vast majority of people. Nichola Rumsey summarises research evidence charting the extensive and damaging impacts of dissatisfaction with appearance on physical and psychological health and the negative consequences for children, young people and adults in key areas of living including social, educational & vocational functioning.

Mainstream Hollywood cinema, the dominant medium of the twentieth century, represented the disabled more fully than most minorities, but what (or who) are these images really about? This lecture traces a paradoxical cultural history with the help of half a dozen film clips, from directors as different as William Wyler, Robert Altman and John Carpenter.