Defining Depression: Endogenous Materialities, Exogenous Immaterialities

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.28939/iam.debats-en.2021-2

Keywords:

STS, controversy mapping, digital ethnography, defining depression, sociology of emotions, pragmatical turn

Abstract

Definitions are narratives in action, implying a need to track down the ontology of what is defined. In
this case, we explore the mutual tension and/or symbiosis (with consonant and dissonant spaces)
arising from the definition of depression. We approach the term ‘depression’ as a controversial
subject, mapping a comparison between lay and expert narratives on the malaise, and making
use of digital ethnography as the methodology. A self-administered online open questionnaire was
completed with the definitions of 29 lay respondents. In addition, expert narratives were gathered
with the definitions of 9 health institutions’ web sites, and public mediation forums. Definitions
echoed from both spaces, with splits between biological materiality and psychological-social
immateriality, with a reiteration of the division between exogeneity and endogeneity, respectively.
Here, the emotiveness of the subject can be seen as stemming from the sum of reductionisms
and cumulative factors as to what depression is. Finally, we consider other possible ontologies
of depression that either: (1) take socio-material assemblies into account or (2) follow the
pragmatical turn, defining depression in action. This research opens new approaches towards
identifying external materialities, shifting the blame from the diagnosis of the individual towards
the mechanisms that spawn harmful relationships.

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Author Biography

Javier García-Martínez, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Degree in Sociology (Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), 2018) and Master in Socio-cultural Analysis of Knowledge and Communication (Complutense University of Madrid, 2019). He specialises in the intersections between: the Sociology of the Body and Emotions; studies in Science, Technology and Society; digital ethnographic approaches.

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Published

2021-12-28

How to Cite

García-Martínez, J. (2021) “Defining Depression: Endogenous Materialities, Exogenous Immaterialities”, Debats. Journal on culture, power and society, pp. 29–42. doi: 10.28939/iam.debats-en.2021-2.

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