In the winter of 1916, the Massachusetts State Board of Insanity called a meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss a law passed in 1911, which established a “department of defective delinquents” responsible for imprisoning anyone deemed to be “mentally defective” and “immoral” as determined by a doctor. The problem was that no precise definition of “mentally defective” had been agreed upon, and this made carrying out the law challenging.
I think it's important to consider the social definition elements, as well. In the time period and place I focus on (early to mid-1800s New England), there were *huge* differences between medical definitions and lived experience. Some of the most fascinating stuff of all resides in those gaps.
Thanks! And I totally agree. We certainly think of the categories and definitions we use today as a perfect or unchanging representation of reality, and that's not true either--social definitions are constantly changing. And understanding how these definitions have changed is so revealing.
What a great summary.
I think it's important to consider the social definition elements, as well. In the time period and place I focus on (early to mid-1800s New England), there were *huge* differences between medical definitions and lived experience. Some of the most fascinating stuff of all resides in those gaps.
Thanks! And I totally agree. We certainly think of the categories and definitions we use today as a perfect or unchanging representation of reality, and that's not true either--social definitions are constantly changing. And understanding how these definitions have changed is so revealing.
(Also, I love your work!)