Date of Award

Summer 2024

Degree Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Cultural Studies, PhD

Program

School of Arts and Humanities

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Darrell Moore

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

David Luis-Brown

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Kimberly Drake

Terms of Use & License Information

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Rights Information

© 2024 Sarah Jane

Keywords

community activism, disability studies, love, mad studies, minor literature, trauma studies

Subject Categories

Disability Studies | Psychology | Social Work

Abstract

"Madly in Love" contends that madness is not merely a condition to be pathologized buta 'supernatural' universal energy that transcends realms, moving through and around all bodies and leaving profound bio-physiological imprints. This dissertation introduces the concept of neo- madness, which recognizes the intricate interplay between this ethereal energy and the corporeal, reshaping our understanding of mental health. This work calls for a radical reimagining of how we witness, honor, and engage with madness by adopting a neo-mad love discourse, methodology, and pedagogy. It centers critical love, a blend of empathy, compassion, and active critical engagement, as essential to creating sustainable justice movements. Through community workshops and events, this dissertation explores practical interventions and collective experiences, advocating for an inclusive and humanistic approach to madness that challenges the colonial, capitalist, and sanist frameworks that have historically marginalized mad voices. Rooted in the works of scholars and activists like James Baldwin, bell hooks, Lamarr Jurelle Bruce, and Therí A. Pickens, "Madly in Love" culminates in the introduction of the Mad Liberation Movement, a manifesto, and a call to action for building a neo-mad community grounded in radical love and collective liberation. "Madly in Love" is both a manifesto and a call to action.

ISBN

9798346863069

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