Program Overview

Madness and Psychiatry (HIST*3640)

Course Details"

The course code for Madness and Psychiatry is HIST*3640, with section 01, offered during the Winter 2020 term. The course instructor is Tara Abraham. The course examines the histories of psychiatry and madness from the era of the asylum in the 19th century to the present day, exploring reasons why psychiatry and its history have been sources of critique and controversy through primary and secondary sources. Topics include the history of institutions, treatments, mental health movements, diagnosis, patient experiences, activism, and intersections of psychiatry with gender, class, and war."

Course Synopsis"

The course delves into the social and cultural contexts through which psychiatry has risen as a medical specialty, and the lives and experiences of its subjects. By examining both primary and secondary sources, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the history of madness and psychiatry."

Learning Outcomes"

• Through independent research and writing, develop skills in critical thinking, scholarly argument, and written communication of ideas about the histories of madness and psychiatry."
• Understand and critically evaluate the history of madness through patient experiences, cultural responses, and institutional settings."
• Evaluate and discuss the historiography of psychiatry and its critics."
• Understand the various approaches to mental illness in psychiatry and the contextual reasons why certain approaches flourished."
• Develop skills in critical evaluation of information, discussion, and oral presentation through course readings and seminar discussions."

Prerequisites"

There are no prerequisites for this course."

Method of Evaluation and Weights"

• Class Participation: 15%"
• Critical Evaluation Assignment (in pairs): 15%"
• Research Paper Proposal: 5%"
• Short Response on Dora or The Bell Jar: 10%"
• Research Paper: 25%"
• Take-Home Final Exam: 30%"

Texts Required"

• Edward Shorter, A History of Psychiatry: From the Era of the Asylum to the Age of Prozac (New York: Wiley, 1997)"
• Sigmund Freud, A Case of Hysteria (Oxford, 2013)"
• Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar (Faber and Faber, 2013)"
• A set of online readings through Ares, the University of Guelph's online Course Reserve system."

Departments and Schools"

The course is associated with the following departments and schools:

• School of Theatre, English, and Creative Writing
• School of Fine Art and Music
• School of Languages and Literatures
• Department of History
• Department of Philosophy
• Interdisciplinary Programs

Centres, Institutes and Labs"

The university is home to several centres, institutes, and labs, including:

• Centre for Scottish Studies
• Grounded and Engaged Theory Lab (GET)
• Interdisciplinary Design Lab
• The International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation
• The Humanities Interdisciplinary Collaboration Lab (THINC)
• The School of Fine Art & Music Print Study Collection