Interrogating mad studies in the academy

Abstract

Through a discussion of their varied experiences of ‘doing’ mad studies, including critical debates about how it is done both inside and outside the academy, Armstrong and LeFrançois elaborate in this chapter their vision(s) for the democratic potentials of mad studies as well as their concerns over neoliberal co-option. The chapter discusses, mostly in narrative style, the authors’ individual experiences of bringing mad studies into the university and their joint analyses of what mad studies courses might be, distinguishing them from critical mental health courses. In addition, the authors interrogate issues relating to power and mad knowledge dissemination in the classroom, including service user tokenism. In the spirit of engaging in mad democratic pedagogical practices, the authors’ offer insights into the construction of a mad studies that bridges the academy/community divide.