Developing A Sociological Perspective on Mental Illness Through Reading Narratives And Active Learning: A “Book Club” Strategy

IF WE TOOK SERIOUSLY the importance of students' life experiences and designed our courses with these experiences as a primary consideration, both the structure and content of many of our courses would look dramatically different. I first realized this when I taught a large section of the sociology of mental illness at a small, highly selective, liberal arts institution. At this school, the sociology of mental illness is an upper-level elective. Although there are no mandatory prerequisites for the course, some sociology is strongly suggested; thus students who come to this course are either sociology majors or have some familiarity with sociology as a way of thinking about and viewing the world. Among sociology students, the sociology of mental illness course draws disproportionately upon two groups of students: persons with mental illness and those who are close to persons with mental illness. Therefore, students come to this course not only because it helps them complete a course of study in sociology, but also because it matters to them personally. Many hope to use their chosen discipline as a way to provide a context for developing a deeper understanding of their own and their

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