Troubled Persons Industries: The Expansion of Psychiatric Categories beyond Psychiatry

This book critiques the use of psychiatric labeling and narratives in institutional and social life, emphasizing the medial and individual practices of medicalization and their role in establishing and diffusing conceptions of mental (ab)normality. It explores the reconstruction of psychiatric narratives in various contexts, including public discourses and "troubled persons industries," and highlights the individualized roles of psychiatric diagnoses and experiences.

Format: Hardback
Length: 345 pages
Publication date: 14 January 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This book critically examines the widespread use of psychiatric labeling and psychiatric narratives in various aspects of institutional and social life across the globe. It adopts an interpretive sociology approach, highlighting the mediating and individual practices of medicalization and their significant role in shaping and disseminating conceptions of mental (ab)normality. A notable trend is the ongoing reconstruction of psychiatric narratives in diverse contexts, many of which no longer strictly adhere to the realm of psychiatry. On the one hand, psychiatric narratives have permeated contemporary public discourses and institutions through various forms of media, including advertising, news, and online platforms. On the other hand, professionals such as social workers, teachers, counselors, disability advisors, lawyers, nurses, and health insurance staff who engage with psychiatric narratives are increasingly serving as agents of the psychiatric discourse within the "troubled persons industries." Abstract academic categories are transformed into concrete aggrieved victims of these categorizations, while academic formulas are individualized into personal narratives. It appears that seeking support often necessitates being labeled.

The practice-oriented micro-sociological field with which this volume engages has only recently begun to participate in public and academic discussions on medicalization and the social role of psychiatry. These discussions often overlook the individualized roles of psychiatric diagnoses and the experiences of those involved and affected by these processes, an oversight that this volume aims to rectify and address.

In conclusion, this book offers a valuable contribution to the study of psychiatric labeling and narratives by exploring their pervasive presence in various institutional and social contexts worldwide. Through an interpretive sociology lens, it sheds light on the processes of medicalization, the construction of mental (ab)normality, and the roles of individuals and professionals in perpetuating and challenging these narratives. By highlighting the need to reconceptualize psychiatric diagnoses and narratives in the broader context of social and cultural processes, this book provides insights into the complexities and implications of psychiatric labeling and narratives in contemporary society.

Weight: 601g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030837440
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022