Mad Zine pedagogy: using zines in critical mental health learning and education

Abstract

This article explores how zines might be used as a medium for generating and communicating alternative forms of Mad-centred knowledge in diverse learning contexts. It draws on our research project about ‘madzines’ which involved identifying madzines; ‘being with’ them; sharing examples with others, and facilitating madzine workshops across both formal and informal settings. Here, we use these activities to reflect on the possibilities, as well as the limitations, of using these informal DIY publications as a form of critical mental health learning, focusing on social work education. Drawing on Alison Piepmeier’s idea of zines as pedagogies of hope, we explore how using madzines in teaching might help: enable learners to: process alternative knowledge and understanding; actively critique existing services and the policy that informs them; and imagine alternatives. We also identify several limitations to be aware of when introducing zines in formal educational settings: decontextualisation, unethical sharing, the othering of madness; and instrumentalising zines. We suggest that our reflections have wider applications across professional, and indeed non-professional, settings.