Kruispuntdenken in de Nederlandse psychiatrie Onderzoek naar gender en ‘ras’ in Nederlandse psychiatrische handboeken (1900-1950)

Abstract

Inspired by the theory of intersectionality, which in short states that categories of discrimination such as gender, ‘race’, class, religion and sexuality exist together and bring each other into existence, this thesis uses discourse-analysis to analyse the influence of both ‘race’ and gender in Dutch psychiatric manuals. The core-question is: How do ‘race’ and gender relate to each other, using intersectionality as a category of analysis, in Dutch psychiatric manuals and scientific publications between 1900 and 1950 and specifically in excerpts about hysteria, psychosis and schizophrenia?

The thesis argument is twofold. Firstly, it argues that two discourses influenced ideas about ‘race’ and gender in the Dutch psychiatry between 1900 and 1950. One is a discourse of civilization. The term civilisation contains both a notion of gender and a notion of ‘race’. The other is a discourse of essentialism that focuses on essentialist, physical differences between sex and ‘race’. Such differences were believed to influence mental illness. These discourses can be seen in both secondary literatures about the Dutch history of psychiatry and the primary source, the manuals. Consequently, the Dutch manuals are influenced by and contribute to the creation of these discourses at the same time. Secondly, this thesis argues that intersectionality, with gender, ‘race’ and class as important categories, is clearly visible in the Dutch psychiatric manuals published between 1900 and 1950 and that intersectionality and ‘race’ should be prominent categories of analysis in further research on the Dutch history of psychiatry.