SOC 475: Social Construction of Mental Illness

Course Description

This course explores varied cultural descriptions and models of mental illness. By focusing on the ways that culture shapes how people experience, and respond to, mental illness, this class explores cultural representations of mental illness ranging from discrete illness resulting from a chemical imbalance to a profound threat to order. We seek to understand the cultural, personal, and political underpinnings of mental illness and medical practices in societies throughout the world. The course utilizes an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing from multiple sources of information regarding mental health issues, including feminism, psychiatry, history, sociology, and literature. Issues raised throughout the course include the ways gender, race, culture, religion, and stigma influence the diagnosis of mental illness, patterns of help-seeking behavior, formation of comprehensive mental health policy, and treatment options. (F, W).