DAY THIRTEEN: Responsibilisation

These satirical remedies for reducing incarceration, racism and poor health outcomes are on display in the Koorie Heritage Trust (First Peoples arts and cultural centre). The 'joke' works because it highlights the problem with suggesting individual solutions to structural problems, and of course, this applies to mental health interventions too. 

Mark Fisher wrote about 'responsibilisation'. He described how those experiencing mental illness are told (the lie) by the logic of capitalism / the ruling class that they are responsible for their own happiness, wellbeing and success. From this, those experiencing mental ill health draw the logical (but mistaken) conclusion that they must therefore be individually responsible for their own absence of happiness or psychological wellbeing. 

Is co-production in mental health an opportunity for collectivity and action, and so "converting privatised disaffection into politicised anger", as Fisher suggests is necessary for change? ...or is it unfairly putting the burden of service improvement back onto those already disenfranchised?

Fisher: https://theoccupiedtimes.org/?p=12841