Presentation: "Mental Retardation"

 CRIP CAMP DISCUSSION GUIDE HERE

Presenting & Exhibition "Retardation"

Wild Australian Children (Tom & Hettie)

• presented in the extreme exotic mode
• belonged to an extinct race, a hitherto "unknown to civilization"
• "their small and most curiously shaped heads of any human being ever sen...adapted them for creeping through the tall rank grass of their native plains, and springing upon the sleeping game or unsuspected foe." (Adventures of the Australian Traveler, 1872)
• explanation in their true life pamphlet paralleled the scientific explanations of the time which suggested that human variation reflected throwbacks to an earlier time in human evolution
• severely retarded microencephalitic siblings from Ohio in actuality
• "pinheads" in the vernacular
• exhibited for over 30 years

Wild Men of Borneo  (Hiram & Waino Davis)

•  Changed names to Barney & Plutano
• most exotic presentations were based on contemporary events like scientific discoveries or exploration and colonial struggles, or the general exploration of the non-Western world-and they were no different.
• This was in reaction to the colonial enterprise in Borneo between England and the Netherlands
• displayed against a brightly painted jungle scene, where they would display feats of strength by lifting members of the audience with their small frames (40 pounds)
• They were captured by captain Hammond in a courageous struggle fighting with the force of 4 grown men. But "in the course of time, under patient kindness humanity subdued savageism" (1878)
• booklet also provided an introduction to Borneo and its people-contained accurate information about geography, flora and fauna and outlandish embellishments about the indigenous people. 
• "when wild men were first found they were animals full of monkey antics, ugly in temper and hard to manage." ..."no ourang-outang could climb a tree with more agility than they displayed. If you examine their little fingers you will find the conformation such as to afford them astonishing prehensile power, enabling them to grip an object and retain their hold. Either of them can lift his entire body by his little finger, and so swing to and fro, in the manner of a Borneo gorilla" (1878)
• part human and part ape as was suggested by popularized versions of Darwin's Theory of Evolution 
• toured the US for more than 50 years and were greeted with great applause 
• used giggerish in their side show, but actually spoke good English. 
• their physical characteristics were merely a jumping off point. The concoction and enactment of the exotic presentation was what gave them a career and made them a household name. 

The Aztec Children   (Maximo & Bartolo)

•  Americans thirsted for history about the mysteries of their own continent
• discovered in the temple of the Aztec kingdom, last known of their race
• key to success was getting the scientific community to come and look at them.
• ethnological curiosities
• "Mr. Knox has a small stone carved image once used as an idol in Mexico...the features of this image strikingly resemble those of the Aztecs; and whenever the latter see it, they caress and fondle it in a manner which plainly indicates that they have seen something of the kind before...the boy, Maximo, danced with delight, and when it was taken away from him he wept and mourned most piteously. This strongly corroborates a portion of their history as set forth in the pamphlet (1851)"
• later exhibited in England as "Aztec Lilliputians"
• Appeared for Napoleon in Paris!
• eventually were featured in the American Museum as "Aztec Wonders!" 

 

• "The Aztec children are still the most remarkable attractions in the city...They are of a race which has but few surviving members. That they are human beings there can be no doubt; and they are not freaks of nature, but specimens of a dwindled,
  
  minikin race, who almost realize in bodily form our idea of "brownies", "bogies" and other fanciful creatures of a more superstitious age.(1860)"
• They were married as part of their presentation
• were GREATLY imitated. Popular presentation for pinheads well into the 1940s

"Zip" (the Pinhead) "What is it?" (William Henry Johnson)

• became a celebrity at the Barnum American Museum due to his microcephaly.
• exploited public prejudices toward color.-RACISM
• displayed as the MISSING LINK
• Victorian America was fascinated by primates
• 1859 Origin of the Species (Darwin)
• 1871 The Descent of Man (Darwin)
• 1860- American Museum..."What is it? Man or Monkey?"
• "a most singular animal, which though it has many of the features and characteristics of both human and brute, is not, apparently, either, but, in appearance, a mixture of both-the connecting link between humanity and brute creation" (1860)
• " When first received here, his natural position was on all fours; and it has required the exercise of the greatest care and patience to teach him to stand perfectly erect...when he first came his only food was raw meet, sweet aplles, oranges, nuts, etc., all of which he was very fond; but he will not eat bread, cake, and similar things,...the formation of the head and face combines both that of native African and some of the Orang Outang...he has been examined by some off the most scientific men we have, and pronounced by them to be a CONNECTING LINK BETWEEN THE WILD NATIVE AFRICAN AND THE BRUTE CREATION. (1860)."
•  early presentations show him in a fur cover against a jungle backdrop. Later presented as "zip coon" and the object of ridicule as a dumb but dapper black man.

Headbinders

• fabricated fascination with this practice of the ancient Aztecs and other cultures. 
• Iturian Pygmies
• pinheads shaved made them ripe for exhibition of various concoctions in the exotic mode

Ideas about mental retardation of the time 

• limited
• organic disease
• intemperance
• inbreeding
• biological throwback to earlier times
• MONGOLOID IDIOT (still found today) Downs Syndrome 

Stigma

Depression

    Post partum

    Bipolar

Anorexia

    Bulimia

Anxiety

PTS

Stigma begins with Language

·    Labeling someone

·    Stereotyping people that have that condition

·    Creating a hierarchy (self/other) resulting in status loss

·    Discriminating on the basis of a label

Mental Health issue still subject to stigma

·    Not physical cause

·    Something you did –bad choice

·    All in your head

·    Lazy---Get over it!

Dangerous & Violent

·    Schizo phrenia

·    Some more pejorated than others

Effects

• Trying to pretend nothing is wrong
• Refusal to seek treatment
• Rejection by family and friends
• Work problems or discrimination
• Difficulty finding housing
• Being subjected to physical violence or harassment
• Inadequate health insurance coverage of mental illnesses

Open Discussion as a strategy

·    Knowledge of CAUSE

·    Knowledge of biological basis

·    Knowledge of Treatment

·    Celebrity association

In either case, here are some ways you can cope with and help end stigma:

• Get appropriate treatment. Don't let the fear or anticipation of being stigmatized prevent you from seeking treatment for your illness. For some people, a specific diagnosis provides relief because it lifts the burden of keeping silent and also underscores that you aren't alone — that many others share your same illness and issues.
• Surround yourself with supportive people. Because stigma can lead to social isolation, it's important to stay in touch with family and friends who are understanding. Isolation can make you feel even worse.
• Make your expectations known. People may not know how to support you, even if they want to help. Offer specific suggestions and remind people of appropriate language.
• Don't equate yourself with your illness. You are not an illness. So instead of saying "I'm bipolar," say "I have bipolar disorder." Instead of calling yourself "a schizophrenic," call yourself "a person with schizophrenia." Don't say you "are depressed." Say you "have depression."
• Share your own experiences. Speaking at events can help instill courage in others facing similar challenges and also educate the public about mental illness. Until you gain confidence, you may want to start at small events, such as talks at a support group or church community.
• Monitor the media. If you spot stigmatizing stories, comic strips, movies, television shows or even greeting cards, write letters of protest that identify the problem and offer solutions.






Join an advocacy group. Some local and national groups have programs to watch for and correct archaic stereotypes, misinformation and disrespectful portrayals of people with mental illnesses.

Eating disorders can affect girls and boys, women and men, people of all races and backgrounds. But because of the stigma or misperceptions, some people may not get the help they need. Mental health experts say it is important for people to understand what eating disorders are and what they are not. Eating disorders are not a silly desire to be thin, a figment of one's imagination, or a failing.

"The most important thing to recognize is that these are real disorders that require treatment," says Dr. Thomas Insel, the director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Eating disorders are serious, even life-threatening, medical illnesses that have biological and psychological causes. They are treatable. Recovery is possible.

"I tell my patients they are fighting an uphill battle against their biology. That does not mean it is not a fightable battle, because it is," says Cynthia Bulik, Ph.D. director of the eating disorders program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which receives NIH funding for research.

Studies also show eating disorders run in families. But is it nature or nurture, inherited or learned behavior? Studies of twins suggest that genes play a role. To help further research into the genetics of eating disorders, Drs. Kaye, Bulik, and other researchers are collecting DNA and blood samples from people in families where more than one person has anorexia nervosa. NIMH is supporting the research and will maintain a bank of the DNA and cell lines collected, so they can be used by researchers trying to identify variations in genes that affect the risk for anorexia and bulimia nervosa.

"By identifying these factors, we could see who is at risk, intervene early, and prevent people from coming into the emergency room," says Dr. Insel.

In addition to studying genes, researchers are using sophisticated imaging tools to see what is, or is not, happening in the brains of people with eating disorders.

"When it comes to hunger, it's hard for most people to stay on a diet. But, people with anorexia nervosa can diet every day and die from starvation. Why don't systems kick in that make them want to eat?" says Dr. Kaye. By uncovering and understanding the differences in the brain circuitry and genes of people with eating disorders, researchers can work to develop new treatments.