Wiki for Dr. McClurkens Courses

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1. In the preface, Tomes mentions working with Grob. How is Tomes' approach to the history of mental health similar to and different from what we saw in last week's readings from Grob? - Morgan

2. In chapter four, Tomes goes through the different roles one might have working in an asylum. How does the designation and responsibilities of these roles reflect wider societal trends and expectations present in American society at this time -- ie. views on leadership, gender roles, etc? - Morgan

1. In chapter 1, Tomes mentions how the contributors and managers of the Pennsylvania Hospital could recommend “servants and poor neighbors'' for admission into the hospital and would typically gatekeep treatment to those they deemed as “worthy.” So those who they saw as “idle and vicious” went to the far less pleasant almshouses. This idea of who is and who isn’t worthy of care makes the idea of other people funding the treatment of the poor more believable. In previous readings it was stated that the rich would fund and pay for the treatment of the poor and these readings did not seem to add any stipulations. However, in the first “voluntary hospital” in America, the financial contributors and Board of Managers chose which of the poor deserved to be treated. - Teresa

2. It is mentioned that superintendents of mental hospitals had basically complete control over the running of the institution. Kirkbride himself had so much power and influence that even after his tenure at the Pennsylvania Hospital people still referred to it as Kirkbride’s. How do you think some affluent patients and families responded to this? Especially white male patients and family members that were so used to the world working for them. - Teresa

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