Mad studies as a methodology for critical heritage studies

The aim of this paper is to develop and discuss mad studies as a methodology and mad reading as a method for critical heritage studies. In doing so, this paper acts on persistent calls to discuss methodologies in critical heritage studies as well as calls to explore the heritage connected to psychiatric hospitals and madness. The text introduces and develops mad studies as a methodology for critical heritage studies, here explained as a way of seeing and analysing heritage from the perspective of mad-centred knowledge productions. The article further develops mad reading as a method for analysing heritage. Mad reading is explained as (1) a situated method, (2) a different way to approach the object of study (3) a method to expose and challenge sanism and (4) a method to reveal madness where it is not clearly visible. The paper is predominantly theory-driven but situates the discussion in relation to previous and ongoing research in heritage studies.