The madness they endured: A biocultural examination of women's experiences of structural violence within 20th-century Missouri state mental hospitals

IF 1.3 3区地球科学 Q3 PALEONTOLOGY

International Journal of Paleopathology Pub Date : 2022-12-01 DOI:10.1016/j.ijpp.2022.05.001

Madeline M. Atwell

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

Objective

This study employs feminist disability theory and the concept of structural violence to interpret the results of skeletal and documentary analysis of fracture and disease presence (i.e., syphilis and tuberculosis) among a group of institutionalized women who lived and died within 20th-century Missouri state mental hospitals.

Materials

The skeletal remains and corresponding death certificates of 52 adult Euro-American women housed in the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection at the Smithsonian Museum Support Center. Archival and historical literature concerning state mental hospitals were also utilized.

Methods

Macroscopic skeletal analysis of fracture and disease combined with archival research (i.e., associated death certificates and historical documentation).

Results

Approximately 15% of patients demonstrated evidence of perimortem hip fractures with no surgical intervention, most of whom were labeled "psychotic". Death certificates revealed the presence of syphilis (n = 4) and death from TB (n = 5).

Conclusions

Nineteenth and 20th-century patriarchal conditions contributed to the institutionalization of women. Women who were impoverished, spouseless, and perceived as mentally or physically disabled were particularly vulnerable to institutionalization. Once hospitalized, patients were exposed to structurally violent conditions including neglect and abuse that resulted in avoidable harm.

Significance

Historical and documentary data associated with osteological collections is underutilized and can serve to both humanize these individuals and advance our understanding of their intersectional experiences. The implementation of theoretical frameworks within bioarchaeology can also assist in more holistically interpreting the complexities of past life.

Limitations

Small, homogenous sample size limited by macroscopic analysis.

Further Research

Future work should increase sample size, heterogeneity, and conduct other relevant skeletal and documentary analyses.

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她们忍受的疯狂:对20世纪密苏里州精神病院女性结构性暴力经历的生物文化研究

目的:本研究采用女性主义残疾理论和结构性暴力的概念来解释对20世纪密苏里州精神病院住院和死亡的一组妇女的骨折和疾病(即梅毒和结核病)的骨骼和文献分析的结果。材料52名成年欧美女性的骨骼残骸和相应的死亡证明存放在史密森尼博物馆支持中心的罗伯特·j·特里解剖收藏中。还利用了有关国家精神病院的档案和历史文献。方法骨折和疾病的显微骨骼分析结合档案研究(即相关死亡证明和历史文献)。结果大约15%的患者在没有手术干预的情况下表现出死前髋部骨折的证据，其中大多数被标记为“精神病性”。死亡证明显示梅毒(n = 4)和结核病死亡(n = 5)。结论19世纪和20世纪的父权制条件促成了妇女的制度化。贫困、无配偶和被认为有精神或身体残疾的妇女特别容易被收容。一旦住院，病人就会暴露在结构性暴力条件下，包括忽视和虐待，导致本可避免的伤害。意义与骨学收藏相关的历史和文献数据未得到充分利用，可以帮助这些个体人性化，并促进我们对其交叉经历的理解。在生物考古学中实施理论框架也有助于更全面地解释过去生活的复杂性。局限性:样本量小，均匀，受宏观分析的限制。进一步的研究未来的工作应该增加样本量，异质性，并进行其他相关的骨骼和文献分析。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Paleopathology PALEONTOLOGY-PATHOLOGY

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

25.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Paleopathology is the study and application of methods and techniques for investigating diseases and related conditions from skeletal and soft tissue remains. The International Journal of Paleopathology (IJPP) will publish original and significant articles on human and animal (including hominids) disease, based upon the study of physical remains, including osseous, dental, and preserved soft tissues at a range of methodological levels, from direct observation to molecular, chemical, histological and radiographic analysis. Discussion of ways in which these methods can be applied to the reconstruction of health, disease and life histories in the past is central to the discipline, so the journal would also encourage papers covering interpretive and theoretical issues, and those that place the study of disease at the centre of a bioarchaeological or biocultural approach. Papers dealing with historical evidence relating to disease in the past (rather than history of medicine) will also be published. The journal will also accept significant studies that applied previously developed techniques to new materials, setting the research in the context of current debates on past human and animal health.