Culture, Madness and Wellbeing

This book is a unique study of the historical, theoretical, and cultural interpretations of 'madness' including interviews with those who have experiences of 'madness'. It takes a transdisciplinary approach, employing historical, psychological, and sociological perspectives through an intersectional lens. This work explains how the prioritization of thinking over feeling in Western thought means the transrational imagination has frequently been negated in tackling mental health with detrimental results. This book, therefore, examines creative media, especially film, as a transrational form of human expression for healing and wellbeing, along with television, theatre, social media, music, and computer games. 'Madness' with regards to gender, sexuality, adolescence, and class in media and film is interrogated, as well as 'madness' and race through a focus on colonialism, post-colonialism, and psychiatry. It analyses group psychosis, including celebrity culture, and the 'madness' of leaders and gurus. This book challenges the lasting influence of the Age of Reason by furthering our understanding of the value of transrationality and the diverse ways of being human.


Professor Jason Lee MA DPhil SFHEA is the author/editor of 15 books, with work translated into 16 languages. His most recent book is with Bloomsbury. Lee's early research focused on 'madness' in relation to film and literature and continental philosophy. Jason Lee is Professor and Head of Leicester Media School, De Montfort University, which has recently been rated number one in the UK for the highest level of research outputs. He has also worked as Deputy Dean. In 2013 Lee worked with the Wellcome Trust on the Sexualisation and Youth Cultures project advising the UK government on policy. He is a consultant for the Higher Education Academy, advising the HEA and government on policy concerning research and ethics in an international context. Writer and broadcaster Professor Will Self has compared Lee's work to Foucault.