''Attempts to define abnormality are always limited by cultural differences'' Outline and consider how definition of abnormality may be influenced by cultural differences.

‘’Attempts to define abnormality are always limited by cultural differences’’ Outline and consider how definition of abnormality may be influenced by cultural differences. (18marks)

The four ways of trying to define abnormality all have their limitations. One of these limitations comes under Cultural Relativism.

Culture is the learned and shared behaviours of members of a society. It includes social norms, values, attitudes and beliefs.

These are all shared by that culture. This makes it difficult to define psychological abnormality in terms that can be universally applied. It is difficult to define abnormality in different cultures because each culture has its own ideas about what is normal and what is abnormal.

People can only be classed as having a mental disorder only if it is classed as being a disorder in all cultures. Although me may think these people are abnormal, in their culture things like these are perfectly normal therefore we cannot call it abnormal behaviour.

Homosexuality used to be classed as a mental disorder but ceased to be categorised as abnormal until 1980 with the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). So we can see that with time and different cultures specifications of abnormalities can change.

The first method is defining abnormality is statistical in frequency. This is the most obvious way to define abnormality. Statistical infrequency is based on the idea that certain behaviours are statistically rare in the population. It is assumed that most of us do not stray away from the norm or the average.

A problem with the method involving statistical infrequency around the idea of cultural relativism would be that Asian people do not go to the doctors for depression whereas white people do. Due to the way Asians have been brought up by their parents, they think their depression should be sorted out within the family and that there is no need to go to the doctors. Therefore it doesn’t look like many Asians get depressed when they do, so this is the 1st major problem. This was said by Rack 1982.

Another example would be ‘Copsey 1997’ who was a psychologist. He spent two years studying church’s and minority religions. He found that many of these religious groups (Afro Caribbean’s) didn’t want to talk about their religion, as they were afraid to be called abnormal.

In India the mentally ill are cursed and looked down upon – Cohen 1988.

In China, mental illness carries great stigma and the Chinese are careful to diagnose only those whose behaviour is indisputably psychotic.

Another slight problem is that how far must one deviate from the average? For example, in some cultures are not ...

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In India the mentally ill are cursed and looked down upon – Cohen 1988.

In China, mental illness carries great stigma and the Chinese are careful to diagnose only those whose behaviour is indisputably psychotic.

Another slight problem is that how far must one deviate from the average? For example, in some cultures are not allowed to wear make-up, but is this really that abnormal? Some girls in our Western culture do not wear make up, may be because they don’t like it or medical reasons.

Another way to define abnormality is Deviation From Ideal Mental Health; meaning deviating from the characteristics and abilities one should possess to be called mentally healthy. This may mean possessing characteristics, which you shouldn’t have e.g. hearing voices, and not possessing characteristics you should have e.g. coping with stress. Jahoda 1958 who identified six main criteria first suggested having a ‘Deviation From Ideal Mental Health’. All these criteria must be met or the person is classed as being mentally ill. These six criteria are positive attitude towards oneself, self-actualisation, resistance to stress, personal autonomy, accurate perception of reality, and adapting to the environment.

Ideas of mental health range between different cultures. In Sambia of New Guinea male youths are taught that females are poison and the males engage in prescribed unlimited fellatio. Also on the Island of Java, football is played with a ball, then socked in petrol and set alight.

Deviation from social norms is based upon society’s rules for behaviour, which are also known as moral standards. Abnormality can be seen as breaking society’s standards or norms.

In Russia people have been imprisoned if they did not follow a particular political belief. So we can see that abnormality has been used for social control. To our Western culture this doesn’t happen very often if not, not at all.

In Malinowski’s (1929) culture bones of the dead relatives are cleaned and worn as ornaments, and this is social norm for Trobriand islanders but not for our Western culture, as we would see this as being very strange as we do not do it.

On the plains of North America ‘The Sun Dance’ is held every summer for a period of four days and four nights. During this period the North Americans go without food and water, and dance throughout. The purpose was to secure support from the super natural, and if you hear voices from the Gods you are seen to be special (although as we see this is being on of the symptoms of schizophrenia in our Western Culture, people in North America sees this as being perfectly normal). Near the end to this four-day long ceremony raw hind ropes were attached through a slit in the persons chest and then to a pole, and the person danced until the flesh torn.

One last example would be the Dobuan Islanders. In his or her culture you should not trust anyone besides your-self e.g. do not leave the cooking pot unattended as it could get poisoned. Although, there was this one woman called Ruth Benedict and she described another man in her Dobuan Culture as being pleasant and helpful therefore she was seen as abnormal in her culture but she seems normal to us, as we are meant to trust other certain people like friends and family.

So we can say that norms are culture bound: social norms very between cultures and any definition of abnormality will be culture-relative.

Failure to Function Adequately is the last of the four ways of defining abnormality. This definition means a human should have some sense of personal well-being and make some contribution to a larger group. Anyone failing to function adequately in this respect is seen to be abnormal. There are five criteria for failing to function adequately. These are; personal distress or discomfort, others distress, maladaptiveness, bizarreness, and unexpected behaviour.

Personal Distress: there is a problem with this involved with culture because in some cultures due to their religion, for example, they have to go without food or water for a long period of time. Although this would be seen to be distressing in our culture, it isn’t in theirs.

Others distress: although other cultures behaviour may not cause the person himself or herself distress it may cause others distress. An example could be culture bones of the dead relatives are cleaned and worn as ornaments of the Trobriands. So this is normal to us, but makes us feel uncomfortable if we’re with them.

Bizarreness: this example would also be seen as being bizarre to our Western Culture. The Trobriand people have two of the characteristics that define abnormality, but to them, they are perfectly sane to do that sort of thing.

However psychological problems happen among minority groups, as the conditions they live in can be stressful. Fernado points this out alongside Cochrane. Cochrane points out that racism and prejudice can have an impact on their psychological well-being. Migration causes psychological problems for the minority groups as conditions are extremely horrendous, and the change they have to go through is also great. There is also much discrimination from racist people and all these cause mental health implications for new migrants, but their problems are mistaken as attributed to ethnicity.

As well as there being cultures, there are also subcultures. Cochrane 1977 found out that Afro Caribbean’s are 2 and 7 times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than whites, but now we know this is because it’s normal to hear these voices in their culture. This may be because of discrimination and stereotyping i.e. that black people are more violent.

In conclusion, we can see that it is hard to define abnormality within different cultures as abnormality is seen differently in different cultures throughout all the definitions of abnormality. Also the white population set the social norms and so deviations are considered abnormal, so there is a Euro centric bias.

Julie Sutton