Zines
Zines are not easy to define. They have been described as ‘noncommercial, nonprofessional, small-circulation magazines which their creators produce, publish, and distribute by themselves’ (Duncombe, 2008). Zines (pronounced to rhyme with ‘beans’) have an important history as part of an underground alternative counter-culture.
Zines exemplify the feminist slogan,
The personal is political
and C. Wright Mills’ sociological dictum of turning
private troubles into public issues.
That task is increasingly important, in a mental health context, where the diagnosis, treatment and services for ‘mental illness’ can be overly individualised and privatised.
Zines come in many styles and formats:
Queer zines
art zines
music zines
grrrl zines
poetry zines
political zines
personal health zines
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Personal health zines (‘PerZines’) uniquely and creatively illustrate how a range of health conditions are lived with, challenged and understood. They can have important therapeutic functions – supporting self-care, reducing isolation and promoting connection.
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This project is concerned with one particular cross-cutting category of zines – what we refer to as
