Présentation

History of the US

This class explores the lesser-known and often unsettling aspects of American history through two major themes: the culture of the freak show and the evolution of the asylum system. We will see how marginalized bodies were exhibited for entertainment in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and how institutionalization shaped societal perceptions of disability, deviance, and mental health. In the lectures, we will also delve into key issues such as pseudoscience, eugenics, race, gender, and the legacy and deinstitutionalization.