About the book
There is a complicated history of racism and psychiatric healthcare in the Deep South states of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The asylums of the Jim Crow era employed African American men and women; served as places of treatment and care for African Americans with psychiatric illnesses; and, inevitably, were places of social control. Black people who lived and worked in these facilities needed to negotiate complex relationships of racism with their own notions of community, mental health, and healing.
Kylie M. Smith mixes exhaustive archival research, interviews, and policy analysis to offer a comprehensive look at how racism affected Black Southerners with mental illness during the Jim Crow era. Complicated legal, political, and medical changes in the late twentieth century turned mental health services into a battlefield between political ideology and psychiatric treatment approaches, with the fallout having long-term consequences for patient outcomes. Smith argues that patterns of racially motivated abuse and neglect of mentally ill African Americans took shape during this era and continue to the present day. As the mentally ill become increasingly incarcerated,Jim Crow in the Asylum reminds readers that, for many Black Southerners, having a mental illness was—and still is—tantamount to committing a crime.
Editions of Jim Crow in the Asylum
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469689197
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469689203
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469689210
- PDF
- ISBN 9781469689227
Read an Excerpt
There is a complicated history of racism and psychiatric healthcare in the Deep South states of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The asylums of the Jim Crow era employed African American men and women; served as places of treatment and care for African Americans with psychiatric illnesses; and, inevitably, were places of social control. Black people who lived and worked in these facilities needed to negotiate complex relationships of racism with their own notions of community, mental health, and healing.
Kylie M. Smith mixes exhaustive archival research, interviews, and policy analysis to offer a comprehensive look at how racism affected Black Southerners with mental illness during the Jim Crow era. Complicated legal, political, and medical changes in the late twentieth century turned mental health services into a battlefield between political ideology and psychiatric treatment approaches, with the fallout having long-term consequences for patient outcomes. Smith argues that patterns of racially motivated abuse and neglect of mentally ill African Americans took shape during this era and continue to the present day. As the mentally ill become increasingly incarcerated,Jim Crow in the Asylum reminds readers that, for many Black Southerners, having a mental illness was—and still is—tantamount to committing a crime.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Jim Crow in the Asylum about?
There is a complicated history of racism and psychiatric healthcare in the Deep South states of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The asylums of the Jim Crow era employed African American men and women; served as places of treatment and care for African Americans with psychiatric illnesses; and, inevitably, were places of social control. Black people who lived and worked in these facilities needed to negotiate complex relationships of racism with their own notions of community, mental health, and healing.
Kylie M. Smith mixes exhaustive archival research, interviews, and policy analysis to offer a comprehensive look at how racism affected Black Southerners with mental illness during the Jim Crow era. Complicated legal, political, and medical changes in the late twentieth century turned mental health services into a battlefield between political ideology and psychiatric treatment approaches, with the fallout having long-term consequences for patient outcomes. Smith argues that patterns of racially motivated abuse and neglect of mentally ill African Americans took shape during this era and continue to the present day. As the mentally ill become increasingly incarcerated,Jim Crow in the Asylum reminds readers that, for many Black Southerners, having a mental illness was—and still is—tantamount to committing a crime.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Jim Crow in the Asylum?
Medicine and Nursing > Medicine / Healthcare: general issues / topics > Medicolegal issues
Where can I read a sample of Jim Crow in the Asylum?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469689197
How long is Jim Crow in the Asylum and how many pages does it have?
Jim Crow in the Asylum has 342 page(s)
Is Jim Crow in the Asylum part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Studies in Social Medicine
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Jim Crow in the Asylum?
Kylie M. Smith
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Jim Crow in the Asylum is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469689197) and paperback(ISBN 9781469689203) and ebook(ISBN 9781469689210) and pdf(ISBN 9781469689227)
Where can I buy Jim Crow in the Asylum online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Jim Crow in the Asylum from below
Where can I buy Jim Crow in the Asylum?