HIST4488 · History

American Madness: History of Mental Illness in the United States

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

Numerical ratings

4.2 / 5Course rating

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Across 1 instructor

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Who teaches this? 1

Both ratings are out of 5, for each instructor’s sections of HIST4488.

Martin Summers

Professor, History Department

1 evaluation for this course

Instructor: 4.4
Course: 4.2

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Martin Summers

Professor, History Department

1 evaluation for this course

Instructor: 4.4
Course: 4.2

About this course

Fulfills the US History requirement for History Majors This course explores the history of mental illness in America from the colonial era to the late twentieth century. It examines how ideas about mental illness changed over time; how it was understood by medical professions and laypeople; how ideas about mental illness reflected larger social beliefs about race, gender, and class; and how various strategies for curing mental disease or dealing with the mentally ill have evolved. Topics include: humanitarian reform and the nineteenth-century asylum movement; the history of somatic-based treatments such as hydrotherapy, electroshock treatment, and lobotomy; psychoanalysis; and deinstitutionalization and the community mental health care movement.

All evaluation ratings

Averages use numerical 1–5 ratings, including the ratings submitted with new anonymous reviews.

OrganizationHow well the course was organized: 4.62 / 5
ChallengeHow intellectually challenging students found it: 4.71 / 5
AttendanceHow necessary attendance was: 4.81 / 5
AssignmentsHow helpful assignments were: 4.62 / 5

Weekly effort: ~5 hours

Estimated from the original workload response buckets. Individual sections may differ.

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Evaluation history 1 terms

All available terms for HIST4488. Numerical averages use the five-point scale.
Term	Evaluations	Course rating	Instructor rating
Spring 2024	1	4.2	4.4