Psyche on the Skin : A History of Self-harm Paperback / softback
by Sarah Chaney
Paperback / softback
- Information
Description
Self-harm is thought by many to be a modern epidemic: a phenomenon of the late twentieth century, a symptom of extreme emotional turmoil in young people, particularly young women.
Yet it was 150 years ago, within early asylum psychiatry, that self-mutilation was first codified as a category of behaviour, and explanations for a variety of self-injurious acts were conceived very differently. Psyche on the Skin charts the secret history of self-harm.
The book describes its many forms, from sexual self-mutilation and hysterical malingering in the late Victorian period, to self-castrating religious sects, to self-mutilation and self-destruction in art, music and popular culture.
Sarah Chaney’s refreshing historical approach refutes the notion that self-harm has any universal meaning – that it necessarily says something specific about an individual or group, or that it can ever be understood outside the historical and cultural context of a particular era. Drawing on her personal experiences, written in an engaging style and containing many powerful images, Psyche on the Skin challenges the misconceptions and controversies surrounding self-harm.
The book is crucial reading for professionals in the field as well as all those affected by this act.
Information
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In Stock - Less than 10 copies availableFree UK DeliveryEstimated delivery 2-3 working days
- Format:Paperback / softback
- Pages:320 pages, 55 illustrations
- Publisher:Reaktion Books
- Publication Date:15/07/2019
- Category:
- ISBN:9781789141481
Information
-
In Stock - Less than 10 copies availableFree UK DeliveryEstimated delivery 2-3 working days
- Format:Paperback / softback
- Pages:320 pages, 55 illustrations
- Publisher:Reaktion Books
- Publication Date:15/07/2019
- Category:
- ISBN:9781789141481