Mad Knowledges and User-Led Research

This book critically examines the development of user involvement in research and proposes the conditions needed to integrate Mad knowledge into research and practice. It highlights the barriers faced by service recipients, survivors, activists, and researchers, such as epistemic injustice, individualization, normalization, and structural violence. The book advocates for a radical approach to articulating "whats the matter with us?" and challenges academic and epistemic hierarchies. It demonstrates how this approach can be both methodologically and conceptually rigorous and has implications for students and scholars in various fields.

Format: Hardback
Length: 322 pages
Publication date: 13 September 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This book delves into a comprehensive examination of the evolution of user involvement in research, while also exploring the challenges hindering the effective integration of Mad knowledge into research and practice. Drawing upon social, linguistic, and critical theories, it presents the necessary conditions to foster the development of Mad epistemologies. The author's unique approach, which explicitly acknowledges her positionality and draws from decades of experience as a service recipient, survivor, activist, and researcher, highlights the structural and symbolic barriers encountered. Employing concepts such as epistemic injustice, individualization, normalization, and structural violence, the book offers a groundbreaking perspective on articulating the concerns surrounding mental health. By challenging academic and epistemic hierarchies, it advocates for a radical shift in the way we understand and address these issues. Importantly, this approach demonstrates its methodological and conceptual rigor.

This book holds significant value for students and scholars engaged in the humanities and social sciences, particularly those specializing in critical psychology, disability studies, Mad studies, feminist studies, critical race theory, and Queer theory. Its insights and perspectives contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding mental health and offer valuable avenues for further research and advocacy.

Weight: 585g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031075506
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022