Graduate Theses in Canadian Madness History
Introduction
This living archive of Canadian graduate theses consists of two exhibits.
First, with the generous permission of the authors involved, we are compiling an original collection of digitized theses and dissertations on the history of madness in Canada. The initial set of assembled theses appears below.
Second, we provide links to university library holdings of on-line theses on the subjects of madness, psychiatry, and the mental health system. These documents canvass a wide range of disciplines and topics, of both historical and contemporary relevance. We will continue to update this exhibit as university libraries progressively digitize their collections, and as an increasing number of institutions become involved. For the present, the collection is restricted to English-language universities only. But we plan to add holdings from French-language universities at first opportunity.
HoMC Collection of Digitized Theses
This original collection of Canadian graduate theses and dissertations comprises a valuable body of research into the history of madness in Canada. This project has been made possible by the generous involvement of the authors whose works are linked below.
Special thanks go to David Harvey, who performed much of the early spadework in communicating with authors and compiling documents.
Any use of these materials, including direct and indirect references, is subject to the copyright restrictions indicated in the individual manuscripts presented here.
Click on the titles below to access these theses:
Francis, Daniel. That Prison on the Hill: The Historical Origins of the Lunatic Asylum in the Maritime Provinces. (PDF) M.A. Thesis, Carleton University, 1975.
Kelm, Mary-Ellen. Women and Families in the Asylum Practice of Charles Edward Doherty at the Provincial Hospital for the Insane, 1905-1915. (PDF) M.A. Thesis, Simon Fraser University, 1990.
Krasnick, Cheryl Lynn. Insanity as a Reflection of Morality and Social Values in Nineteenth Century Canada: The London, Ontario Asylum for the Insane 1870-1902. (PDF) M.A. Thesis, University of Western Ontario, 1981.
Marttinen, Terry-Lee. HERV-W Ecology of Psychosis: A New Prescription for Health, Equality and Citizenship in a Post-Genomic World. (PDF) Honour’s B.A. Thesis, Department of Law and Politics, Algoma University, 2012.
Sethna, Christabelle. The Continent Man: The Ideal of Pure Manhood in the Self and Sex Series, 1897-1915. (PDF) M.A. Thesis, University of Toronto, 1989.
Smandych, Russell Charles. The Rise of the Asylum in Upper Canada, 1830-1875: An Analysis of Competing Perspectives on Institutional Development in the Nineteenth Century. (PDF) M.A. Thesis, Simon Fraser University, 1981.
White-Mair, Kimberley. Negotiating Responsibility: Representations of Criminality and Mind-State in Canadian Law, Medicine and Society, 1920-1952. (PDF) Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Toronto, 2001.
Digitized Theses on Madness, Psychiatry, and the Mental Health System: Library Collections From Canadian Universities
This wide-ranging collection of on-line theses and dissertations includes works written by Canadian graduate and honours students on madness, psychiatry, and the mental health systems, with emphasis on both past and present subjects, issues and themes. The content is interdisciplinary, and a wealth of perspectives is represented. As we have selected these titles based on keyword-based search procedures, the listings may not be complete, or fully representative. We will continue to update this collection as more theses appear on line on university library websites across the country, and as we add the e-holdings of French-speaking institutions.
The initial collection was compiled between June 2010 and March 2011, by Angelina Heer and David Lazenby of Simon Fraser University.
Click on the below-listed universities to access their on-line collections of theses on madness, psychiatry, and the mental health system:
Memorial University of Newfoundland
University of British Columbia
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the following individuals and institutions for having facilitated the permissions:
Geoffrey Allen, Harriet Irving Library, University of New Brunswick
Amy Buckland, eScholarship, ePublishing & Digitization Coordinator, McGill University Library
Brian Cameron, Digital Initiatives Librarian, Ryerson University
Anita Cannon, R.P. Bell Library, Mount Allison University
Hansel Cook, Archives, Special Collections and Records, Saint Mary’s University Library
Rea Devakos, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Library
Ingrid Draayer, Head, Access Services, Carleton University Library
David Fox, Head, Monographs Unit, University of Saskatchewan Library
Christopher Hives, University Archivist, University of British Columbia
Donald Johnson, Dr. John Archer Library, University of Regina
Scott Johnston, McPherson Library, University of Victoria
Patrick Labelle, Scholarly Communication Librarian, University of Ottawa
Todd Mundle, Associate University Librarian, Simon Fraser University
Annie Murray, Digital and Special Collections Librarian, Concordia University Libraries
Juliette Nadeau, Elizabeth Dafoe Library, University of Manitoba
Sharon Reeves, Manager, Theses Canada, Library and Archives Canada
Art Rhyno, Leddy Library, University of Windsor
Nancy Simmons, Copyright Officer, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Wendy Stephens, University of Calgary Library
Mark Swartz, Copyright Specialist, Queen’s University Libraries
Ashley Thompson, J.N. Desmarais Library, Laurentian University
Leah Vanderjagt, Cameron Library, University of Alberta Libraries
