Is depression an epidemic? Barbara Ehrenreich says that the way that depression seemed to sweep across Western Europe in the 17th Century looks like one, but is probably the result of the modern age's celebration of individuality. An increased sense of personal autonomy was accompanied by the loss of communal rituals and festivities that emphasized belonging to communities.
Here's your daily recommended dose of irony: Ehrenreich's meditation on depression comes from her new book, Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy.
