Project Launch: “Schizophrenia: reception, semantic shift and criticism of a concept in the 20th century”

Anke Maatz writes: I am pleased to announce the launch of ‘Schizophrenia: reception, semantic shift and criticism of a concept in the 20^th century. An interdisciplinary project.’ Based in Zurich where in 1908, Eugen Bleuler introduced the term ‘schizophrenia’ into the medical discourse, this three year long SNF-funded project aims at providing a detailed analysis of the reception of this powerful term and of its constant re-negotiation between clinical psychiatry and society hoping to yield fruitful insights into the relationship between medical theory and everyday semantics as well as into the self-image of psychiatry and society. Disciplines and people involved include Paul Hoff and Anke Maatz (psychiatry), Jakob Tanner and Marina Lienhard (history), Angelika Linke and Yvonne Ilg (linguistics) and Margrit Tröhler and Veronika Rall (film studies). We look forward to linking our research with other projects on schizophrenia especially in the area of the Medical Humanities and hope to welcome you to conferences, workshops etc. in Zurich.

For more information please contact Anke Maatz.