02282 - History of Psychology

Learning outcomes

The course aims to prepare students to critically read and contextualize both texts and sources belonging to different scientific domains. Students will also learn how to use the acquired historical knowledge in order to theoretically analyze several recurring problems and themes.

At the end of the course, they will have the skills to express a well-founded opinion, both thinking about all of the notions acquired and also discussing the matters with other students.

 

Course contents

Title: From Pinel to Basaglia. Concepts, theories and protagonists of two centuries of psychiatry.

 

The course is articulated in two different phases.

The first part will be dedicated to the major theories that made psychology rise and develop, the same issues that the neurosciences are still debating nowadays.

The second part, more historically based, will focus on the Italian psychiatry's events: the path that led to the Psychiatric Revolution, to the Franco Basaglia's anti-institutional movement and, finally, to the Law “180â€.

Ordinary lessons will be supported by movies and videos, as well as speeches made by the authors of some of the books included in the undermentioned bibliography.

 

Lessons will take place in via Zamboni 38, classroom I: Wednesday 3-5 pm, Thursday 3-5 pm, Friday 1-3 pm. The first lesson is set for Wednesday, October 7th.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Readings/Bibliography

The program consists of two parts, to be prepared as follows:

 

Obligatory bibliography :

Valeria P. Babini, Liberi tutti, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2012; Valeria P. Babini, La psichiatria, in Storia delle scienze, vol. IV, Natura e vita. L'eta' moderna, Torino, Einaudi, 1994, pp.402-37; Alfredo Civita e Domenico Cosenza (a cura di), La cura della malattia mentale. 1. Storia ed epistemologia, Milano, Bruno Mondadori, 2001, (cap. 2: Neuroscienze e malattie mentali; cap. 3: La clinica moderna e la malattia mentale, pp. 30-132, cap. 7: Il difficile confine normalita'/follia, pp.248-291); Alfredo Civita, Psicopatologia. Una introduzione storica, Roma, Carocci, cap. 4 (pp. 103-152); Silvia Finzi Vegetti, Storia della psicoanalisi, Milano, Mondadori, pp. 3-68; Alessandra Cerea (a cura di), G. Devereux, La rinuncia alla identita'. Una difesa contro l'annientamento , Mimesis, Milano, 2015.

 

One text to choose among the following ones:

Elisa Montanari, Sant' Isaia 90. Cento anni di follia a Bologna, Bologna, Pendragon, 2015 ;Roberta Passione, Ugo Cerletti e il romanzo dell'elettroschock, Reggio Emilia, Aliberti, 2007;Matteo Petracci, I matti del Duce. Manicomi e repressione nella Italia fascista, Roma, Donzelli, 2014; Assunta Signorelli, Praticare la differenza. Donne, psichiatria e potere, Roma, EDS, 2015;Annacarla Valeriano, Ammalo' di testa. Storie dal manicomio di Teramo (1880-1931), Roma, Donzelli 2014.

Teaching methods

The course will be based on lectures and critical reading of the texts. Students will be encouraged to participate actively to the discussion.  

Assessment methods

 The exam will consist of a discussion starting from a topic chosen by the student: historical knowledge, critical approach and personal analysis will be held.

Only the achievement of a complete knowledge, mastery of expression, and clear reasoning and explanation will be assessed with a score of excellence.

Teaching tools

Overhead projector; computer; dvd.

Office hours

See the website of Valeria Paola Babini