ANSC-2179 Madness and Civilization
(SELF & SOCIETY, ENGAGING DIFFERENCE) A cross-disciplinary exploration of the intersections of power, creativity, and the social construction of "madness." Key topics include the diverse cultural narratives surrounding mental illness; the birth and evolution of asylums/psychiatric institutions; hallucinations, visions, and psychoactive drugs; ritual-induced mind alteration; criminality and imprisonment; religious extremism; demon possession; ecstatic states; and the creative work of psychological "deviants" in the form of so-called outsider art.