Madness, Bureaucracy and Gender in Mumbai, India

Focusing on the management of mental health in Indian regional hospitals, this ethnography examines the interplay of psychiatric practices, bureaucratic structures, and gendered and queer narratives within an asylum-like institution. It highlights the historical context of these facilities as colonial remnants and addresses issues such as patient maltreatment and systemic corruption. The author seeks to bridge the gap between social anthropology and psychiatry by analyzing their differing perspectives on 'mad narratives' amidst national changes and the global mental health movement.