Jennifer Hansen, assistant professor of philosophy at Gettysburg College, will discuss the underlying reasons for Prozac’s prevalent use in our society, especially among women, during the annual Reynolds Lecture at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 8 in the Isabella Cannon Room, located in the Center for the Arts on the Elon University campus. Her lecture, titled “The Myth of Prozac: Who Are the Real Casualties?” is free and open to the public.
Hansen will discuss the theories underlying the use of Prozac in our society. Her claim is that the Prozac myth—the idea that it makes patients feel “better than well”—is essentially aimed at making women more like men. She also argues that the push to make women more like men is a product of a long-standing. Finally, she argues that by emphasizing this treatment of women, society ultimately neglect those who may really need help: men.
Hansen’s fields of expertise include feminist theory, continental philosophy, and psychoanalytic theory. She is the co-editor of “Continental Feminism Reader,” recently published by Rowman & Littlefield. Hansen completed her doctorate at SUNY-Stony Brook.