The Case Studies of Ben, Luna, and Daniel: Toward a Decolonizing Global Mental Health Perspective

• In Event: 14.036 - Decolonizing Dis/ability Categories of Mental Health at Their Intersections: A Collaborative Interdisciplinary Approach

Abstract

This paper brings together three case studies to interrogate the following guiding questions: How do schools create a normalized meaning of mental health? What identity resources are available within school settings? How are those normalized processes gendered and racialized? To what extent are answers to these guiding questions troubled from a decolonizing global mental health perspective for theory, research and practice?
Individuals gain an understanding about themselves both as a unique entity and as a group member through cognitively processing their interactions within their social and cultural context(s) and traditions (Erikson, 1968; Hedegaard, 2008; Phinney, 2008). One’s group identity is comprised of more than just the labels one adopts; it is a dynamic process that develops as one struggles to gain an understanding of who one is. Nevertheless, we don’t make sense only cognitively but also emotionally. Lemke (2013) transcends the traditional Western dichotomy between reason or the cognitive and emotion and feelings with his term: meaning-feeling. We don’t make sure of who we are without emotion and reason. We use both. Nevertheless, traditional educational psychology the big d Discourses (Gee, 2011) of special education and education (Connor, 2013; Runswick-Cole & Hodge, 2009) heavily relies on only cognitive interventions (Kenway & Youdell, 2011). We make sense of who we are using emotional and cognitive resources. Further, in order to make meaning-feeling (Lemke, 2013) of and navigate the various landscapes, individuals use the tools, ideas, and vocabulary that are directly available for them to access within the big d Discourses and cultural traditions within homes and schools (Hedegaard, 2008). In other words, there are ideational, relational, emotional, material identity resources available to them (Nasir & Cooks, 2011; Nasir, 2012).
In addition to using the literature on identity development, we present the case studies of high school students Ben Liu and Luna Gold and middle school student, Daniel Martinez in order to theorize how schools create a normalized meaning of mental health which we argue have identity development implications from a decolonizing global mental health perspective. The first author’s case study participant is Ben who had cerebral palsy and significant learning disabilities (LD), and spent almost the full school day in a self-contained special education classroom, located in a large suburban high school. The second author’s case study participant is Luna was 16-year-old sophomore student, an only child, and he lived at home with his mother and his step-father and identifies as a Arab-American. Luna is on an IEP to accommodate his disabilities including mild Cerebral Palsy (CP), Apraxia, and Dysarthria. Luna eventually identified as pansexual and transgender who experiences depression and suicide ideation. The third author’s case study was 14-year-old Daniel Martinez. Daniel was a 8th grader labeled with a LD and a Speech and Language Impairment (SLI). Daniel was a first generation Mexican-American to the US and bilingual in both Spanish and English. Daniel was born in Pinole, a southwestern major urban city.

Authors

• Carlyn Mueller, Vanderbilt University

• Laurie Gutmann Kahn, Moravian College

• David Isaac Hernandez-Saca, University of Northern Iowa