The Psychopolitics of Surplus Populations
Date: 1-2pm, Wednesday 30th November
Location: Room 311 in the East Quadrangle, in the Main Building at Glasgow University (directions here).
The last of meeting of the GU medical humanities discussion group is this Wednesday (30th Nov), with Dr. Ian Shaw (School of Geographical and Earth Sciences) speaking on ‘The Psychopolitics of Surplus Populations’. All are welcome!
Abstract:
In this talk I want to re-examine Karl Marx’s classic concept of “surplus population” in light of contemporary mental health insecurities. Doing so, I suggest, allows us to connect political economy with the very real psychological issues a growing number of people face on a daily basis. In this sense, the idea of alienation – critiques notwithstanding – might yet prove a (global) rallying concept at our dangerous conjecture.