The merits of context: Unfolding mental vulnerability as category and experience

Charlotte Christiansen

doi:10.1177/1466138120940757

The merits of context: Unfolding mental vulnerability as category and experience

Institut for Kultur og Samfund - Afdeling for Antropologi

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

3 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

‘Mentally vulnerable’ young people are a strong focal point in public debate and policy in Denmark at present, and a variety of cultural activities are now being offered to them. Building on ethnographic fieldwork (April 2018-August 2019) with so-called mentally vulnerable young women (aged 18-36) who meet in literature reading groups, this article seeks to connect the reading group with the phenomenon of ‘mental vulnerability’, first through a review of the historical emergence and contemporary use of the term, and second by considering what (painful) experiences the term signifies for individuals belonging to this category. This contextualization involves a discussion of literature on the role of context in anthropological analyses. The article concludes with an empirical contradiction: the reading group provides a sanctuary from everyday demands for purposefulness and productivity, but it can also be used as a strategy for navigating such demands.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Ethnography
Vol/bind	23
Nummer	4
Sider (fra-til)	496-515
Antal sider	20
ISSN	1466-1381
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1177/1466138120940757
Status	Udgivet - dec. 2022

Adgang til dokumentet

10.1177/1466138120940757

Citationsformater

@article{6f2d4deb41f34adca5864faf475ca03f,

title = "The merits of context: Unfolding mental vulnerability as category and experience",

abstract = "{\textquoteleft}Mentally vulnerable{\textquoteright} young people are a strong focal point in public debate and policy in Denmark at present, and a variety of cultural activities are now being offered to them. Building on ethnographic fieldwork (April 2018-August 2019) with so-called mentally vulnerable young women (aged 18-36) who meet in literature reading groups, this article seeks to connect the reading group with the phenomenon of {\textquoteleft}mental vulnerability{\textquoteright}, first through a review of the historical emergence and contemporary use of the term, and second by considering what (painful) experiences the term signifies for individuals belonging to this category. This contextualization involves a discussion of literature on the role of context in anthropological analyses. The article concludes with an empirical contradiction: the reading group provides a sanctuary from everyday demands for purposefulness and productivity, but it can also be used as a strategy for navigating such demands.",

keywords = "Denmark, Mental illness, categorization, context, literature, mental vulnerability, reading groups, youth",

author = "Charlotte Christiansen",

year = "2022",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1177/1466138120940757",

language = "English",

volume = "23",

pages = "496--515",

journal = "Ethnography",

issn = "1466-1381",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The merits of context

T2 - Unfolding mental vulnerability as category and experience

AU - Christiansen, Charlotte

PY - 2022/12

Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - ‘Mentally vulnerable’ young people are a strong focal point in public debate and policy in Denmark at present, and a variety of cultural activities are now being offered to them. Building on ethnographic fieldwork (April 2018-August 2019) with so-called mentally vulnerable young women (aged 18-36) who meet in literature reading groups, this article seeks to connect the reading group with the phenomenon of ‘mental vulnerability’, first through a review of the historical emergence and contemporary use of the term, and second by considering what (painful) experiences the term signifies for individuals belonging to this category. This contextualization involves a discussion of literature on the role of context in anthropological analyses. The article concludes with an empirical contradiction: the reading group provides a sanctuary from everyday demands for purposefulness and productivity, but it can also be used as a strategy for navigating such demands.

AB - ‘Mentally vulnerable’ young people are a strong focal point in public debate and policy in Denmark at present, and a variety of cultural activities are now being offered to them. Building on ethnographic fieldwork (April 2018-August 2019) with so-called mentally vulnerable young women (aged 18-36) who meet in literature reading groups, this article seeks to connect the reading group with the phenomenon of ‘mental vulnerability’, first through a review of the historical emergence and contemporary use of the term, and second by considering what (painful) experiences the term signifies for individuals belonging to this category. This contextualization involves a discussion of literature on the role of context in anthropological analyses. The article concludes with an empirical contradiction: the reading group provides a sanctuary from everyday demands for purposefulness and productivity, but it can also be used as a strategy for navigating such demands.

KW - Denmark

KW - Mental illness

KW - categorization

KW - context

KW - literature

KW - mental vulnerability

KW - reading groups

KW - youth

U2 - 10.1177/1466138120940757

DO - 10.1177/1466138120940757

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1466-1381

VL - 23

SP - 496

EP - 515

JO - Ethnography

JF - Ethnography

IS - 4

ER -

The merits of context: Unfolding mental vulnerability as category and experience

Abstract

Adgang til dokumentet

Fingeraftryk

Citationsformater