Lehrende: PD Dr. Claudia Lang
Veranstaltungsart: Seminar
Orga-Einheit: 03-Ethnologie
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Semesterwochenstunden: 2
Unterrichtssprache: Englisch
Offizielle Kursbeschreibung: This module is an introduction into key methodological, theoretical and conceptual approaches of anthropology to mental health, wellbeing, dis-order and psychiatry. The module aims to equip students with a critical understanding of key debates in anthropology and related fields about mental health and mental illness in increasingly interconnected worlds. We will pay attention to the ways suffering, affects, and behavior are framed and intervened upon in diverse socio-cultural settings and world regions. We discuss situated ideas of the self, wellbeing and mental health, universalism and particularity of mental illness, and epistemological and ontological power asymmetries or etiologies, interventions and expertise. In particular, we critically scrutinize the universalization of ‘western’ approaches to mental health and mental illness and their interactions with other healing approaches. Finally, we ask for ways to rethink mental health and wellbeing in worlds increasingly damaged by multiple crises such as climate change, ecological damage, rising inequality, the Covid-19 pandemic, or war. ‘Mad worlds’ then refers to both highly diverse experiences and ontologies of suffering, to politics and activism (‘mad pride’) and to the worlds humans have come to inhabit.
Organisatorisches: Class preparation: Students are required to prepare for class by thoroughly reading each sitting’s required readings. Students are also required to write a short response paper for six sessions (max. 500 words per paper) and upload them on the learning platform by 12 pm on the day before each class. A response paper should reflect on the readings in conjunction and answer the following questions: What did you learn from the readings about the respective topic? What is the specific anthropological perspective of the topic? What do you think is missing or can be criticized? Moreover, the participation at the student conference on [tba] is mandatory (see below). Participation at the movie evenings is voluntary. Assessment: The writing component of this course consists of a graded final paper (5,000 +/-500 words (including references and footnotes). You are free to choose a topic of your choice, but it is mandatory that the paper takes individual theories, approaches or frameworks discussed in class or during the workshop as a starting point. Students are encouraged to exchange their abstracts and literature before the end of the semester within self-organized groups of three students max. Students are welcome to discuss their field of interests during office hours. Final papers are due by [date] and have to be submitted via email.
Literatur: Introductory Readings: 1. Watters, Ethan. 2010. Crazy Like Us: The globalization of the western mind. Free Press. 2. Davies, James. 2021. Sedated: How Modern Capitalism Created our Mental Health Crisis. Atlantic Books.
