Speaking of Sadness

Write a post in which you draw on David Karp’s Speaking of Sadness as well as other material from this section of the course to explain why mental illness is a profoundly social problem as well as – or perhaps more than or rather than – a biochemical problem. Write from the perspective of social constructionism and the sociological theory (symbolic interactionism) that is its origin. Explain why and how a sociological understanding can illuminate dimensions of mental illness that are (a) important to the society at large
and the suffering individual in particular and (b) connected to the question of what should/could be done to help those who are suffering and (c) connected to social responses to mental illness and the way that social networks and communities are involved in “constructing” mental illness.

Your post must demonstrate that you understand Karp’s arguments and analyses. I expect you to draw on his concepts and findings. You can move beyond depression as a topic for analysis because you can also draw on the case studies related to anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. So, you might focus on depression but also discuss these disorders as Karp’s concepts are applied to them.

***Please refer to David A. Karp’s book, “Speaking of Sadness”.