Mental Health and the Arts (340-0-20)

Instructors

Peter Andrew Locke
1800 Sherman Ave, Suite 1-200, Evanston

Meeting Info

University Hall 112: Wed 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This course draws on perspectives from anthropology, related social scientific fields, and the humanities to explore the role of the arts and media narratives in shaping politics and experiences of mental health and illness around the world. We will consider forms of storytelling—including literature, film, and theater—across eras and cultures, tracking shifts in perspectives on normality and pathology and their consequences for the most vulnerable. How does the power of Western psychiatry intersect with that of global media to reinforce reigning paradigms and imperatives for how suffering is to be understood, classified, and experienced? Conversely, what counter-narratives are being produced by artists and their communities? What role can the arts play in individual and collective forms of healing—or in exacerbating pain and grievance? What kinds of voices seem to have power, and which are neglected? Where is the line between cathartic and exploitative representation of trauma and mental illness? How, in short, do the stories we tell about mental illness "get under the skin" and shape forms of suffering and care?

Class Materials (Required)

All required materials will be available on Canvas.

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
No Freshmen