The Urban Brain: Mental Health in the Vital City

Sociologists and psychiatrists study how cities shape mental health and illness, but the split between the social and life sciences has hindered understanding. Nikolas Rose and Des Fitzgerald's The Urban Brain takes an ecosocial approach to the city, focusing on how humans make, remake, and inhabit their urban lifeworlds.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 22 March 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press

The majority of the world's population now resides in cities, with millions migrating from rural areas to the rapidly expanding megacities in the global south. How does the urban experience influence the mental well-being of individuals living in and relocating to cities today? Sociologists view cities as hubs of personal growth and social innovation, but they also recognize them as sites of exclusion, racism, and inequality. Psychiatrists strive to explain the high prevalence of mental disorders among urban residents, particularly migrants. However, the divide between the social and life sciences has impeded our understanding of how urban experiences are etched into the bodies and brains of urbanites.

In their book, "The Urban Brain," Nikolas Rose and Des Fitzgerald aim to rekindle the collaboration between sociology and psychiatry in addressing these critical concerns. By reexamining the relationship between the city and the brain, Rose and Fitzgerald explore how cities shape the mental health and illness of their inhabitants.

The Urban Brain adopts an ecosocial approach to the vital city, recognizing that humans thrive in these environments but are also susceptible to illness and suffering. Through this lens, the book demonstrates the potential benefits of a vitalist approach to understanding the mental lives of individuals migrating to and living in cities. It highlights the ways in which humans create, remake, and inhabit their urban lifeworlds, contributing to their well-being and mental health.

By bridging the social and life sciences, "The Urban Brain" provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between cities, mental health, and illness. It sheds light on the ways in which urban environments can either promote or hinder mental well-being, and offers practical strategies for policymakers, urban planners, and healthcare professionals to create more inclusive and sustainable cities.

In conclusion, "The Urban Brain" is a groundbreaking work that challenges the traditional boundaries between the social and life sciences. By exploring the relationship between the city and the brain, Rose and Fitzgerald offer a vitalist approach to understanding the mental lives of urbanites. Their book provides valuable insights into the ways in which cities shape mental health and illness, and offers practical solutions for creating more inclusive and sustainable urban environments.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691231655