A Disability of the Soul: An Ethnography of Schizophrenia and Mental Illness in Contemporary Japan
Karen Nakamura
"This is a terrific book―moving, clear, and compassionate. It not only illustrates the way psychiatric illness is shaped by culture, but also suggests that social environments can be used to improve the course and outcome of the illness. Well worth reading."
— T. M. Luhrmann, author of Of Two Minds: An Anthropologist looks at American Psychiatry
Bethel House, located in a small fishing village in northern Japan, was founded in 1984 as an intentional community for people with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Using a unique, community approach to psychosocial recovery, Bethel House focuses as much on social integration as ... Read more
In A Disability of the Soul, Karen Nakamura explores how the members of this unique community struggle with their lives, their illnesses, and the meaning of community. Told through engaging historical narrative, insightful ethnographic vignettes, and compelling life stories, her account of Bethel House depicts its achievements and setbacks, its promises and limitations. A Disability of the Soul is a sensitive and multidimensional portrait of what it means to live with mental illness in contemporary Japan.
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About Karen Nakamura
Reviews for A Disability of the Soul: An Ethnography of Schizophrenia and Mental Illness in Contemporary Japan