Foucault, Disability Studies, and Mental Health Diagnoses; A Literature Review

Abstract

This review provides an overview of Foucault’s pertinent work and Disability Studies, which work together to form a framework for understanding mental health diagnoses in the United States. First, I look at the history of mental health differences. Next, I provide more specific information on Foucault’s concepts of biopower, historicizing, and nominalism and the Disability Studies’ concepts of social construction of disability, normative culture, and voice. Throughout the piece, I provide a review of recent research relevant to this study.  The literature review was originally compiled as part of a study to document and understand the voices of children with mental health diagnoses.