Author, as appears in the article.: Martinez-Hernaez A

Department: Antropologia, Filosofia i Treball Social

URV's Author/s: Martinez Hernaez, Angel

Keywords: Psychopolitics Neuropolitics Neuronarratives Entrepreneur of oneself Antidepressants

Abstract: The dramatic increase in the consumption of antidepressants is one indicator, among others, of the contemporary cerebralization of human affliction. This process has been led by expert systems, creating new biosocialities or neurosocialities, and new models of self as well: the neural self. While some research minimizes the neuro-colonization of the self and its impact on lay knowledge systems, here I argue that synergy between neuropolitics and figures characteristic of neoliberal governamentality such as the "entrepreneur of oneself" can give rise to an interiorized, cerebralized, centripetal, inwardly-oriented self. This paper, based on long-term fieldwork among consumers of antidepressants in Catalonia, analyses the emergence of neuronarratives of affliction (NoAs). NoAs privilege neurochemical dysfunction as the source of distress, shortcircuiting an awareness of the social sources of suffering while at the same time obscuring the fact of this concealment. NoAs transform the self into structure and reduce the social world to event.

Thematic Areas: Social sciences, interdisciplinary Social sciences, biomedical Saúde coletiva Psychiatry and mental health Psychiatry Medicine (miscellaneous) Medicina ii Medicina i Health (social science) Enfermagem Ciencias sociales Ciencias humanas Arts and humanities (miscellaneous) Antropología Anthropology

ISSN: 0165005X

Author's mail: angel.martinez@urv.cat

Author identifier: 0000-0002-5122-7075

Record's date: 2023-02-18

Licence document URL: http://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/

Papper original source: Culture Medicine And Psychiatry. 44 (2): 230-248

APA: Martinez-Hernaez A (2020). Neuronarratives of Affliction: Antidepressants, Neuropolitics and the Entrepreneur of Oneself. Culture Medicine And Psychiatry, 44(2), 230-248. DOI: 10.1007/s11013-019-09651-8

Article's DOI: 10.1007/s11013-019-09651-8

Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Journal publication year: 2020

Publication Type: Journal Publications