Eshun Chapter Flashcards
Culture
- common def
- history/def
- all defs
- Culture is often defined as way of life of a group of ppl
- However, def is too simple, culture is more of a complex multilayered concept. Comes from Latin word (colo-ere) meaning to cultivate or inhabit
- Term first used by anthropologist Ed B Taylor in 1871 who defined culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as member of society”
- All definitions imply that culture is composed of values, beliefs, norms, symbols, behaviors which are learned. Thus culture is a general way of life or behaviors of a group which reflect their shared social exps, values, attitudes, norms and beliefs transmitted from generations and changes over time.
Castillo identified 4 ways in which cultural influences mental health
- Persons own exp of illness
- How they express illness in context of cult norms
- How symptoms expressed are diagnosed
- How the illlness is treated
Universalist view
- evidence/conclusion
is middle position; specific behaivors of illness common to all but development, expression, response influenced by culture
- In support of Universalist approach WHO confirmed that where as ppl from diff countries reported common symptoms of depression (sad, lack of energy), westerners reported additional symptoms of feeling guilty. Nonwestern reported more somatic complaints.
Led to conclusion that vegetative symptoms of depression somewhat universal but feelings of guilt related to individualism and religion.
- Shenjing Shariuo
- Taijin Kyofyusho
- Shenjing Shariuo or neurasthenia in China is sim to MDD but more somatic and less sad mood
- Taijin Kyofyusho a japan disorder sim to social phobia
Problem with DSM
DSM and ICD categorize mental illness with universalist approach; research derived from western can be applied to nonwestern cultures but this isnt true
Seeking help
- depends on
- termination in blacks (3)
-Whether or not ppl seek help depends on trust to professional
Counselor dissimilarity, cultural mistrust, willingness to self-disclose all influence seeking behaviors and premature termination in blacks
Cultural influences:
- Asians
- Africans
Culture influences they sytmpoms patient presents. Cult norms encourage aviodnace among Asains in somatic complaints rather than emotional ones bc its viewded unacceptable.
Many Africans believe pathology in person reflects dysfunction in larger social group and context and healing would be required for collective not just individ.
Council of National Associations for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Interests
- is
- 3
states importance of cultural competence in professionals; emphasizes
- Professionals aware of and senstive to own background and biases
- Have knowledge about own cultural heritage and their patiesn and acknowlege how they influence their perceptions
- Activily seek to understand themselves and other cultures with goal of developing skills to work with them
Race (2)
- Biological defs focus on physical and genetics resulting in historical classifications of Caucasoid (white) Monogoloid (asian) and Negroid
- Sociocult def related to geo migration of groups and purpose of identiy formation. Mio states “it’s the characterisctics, values, behaviors that have been assoc with groups of diff physical charactersitics serving purpose as outsiders to view another group and members to percieve themselves”
Acculturation
- berry
- 3 levels
Berry described aculturation as process of culture shedding and culture learning that involves intentionally or unintentionally losing cult values or behaviors while adopting new ones from new group; Depends on how open host culture is to interact and how willing immigrant group is to adopt
- He identified 3 levles at which acculturation could influence mental health
1. First level- letting go of behaivors and skills not useful in adapting to new culture and learning new ones; involves mild to mod conflict
2. Second level - Process of learning new skills and unlearning old ones and becomes more of a challeng resulting in acculturative stress; moderat to signf conflict
3. Thrid level- severe psych disorders’ changes of accult overwhleming and unable to cope
Acculturation Effects
- Africans
- Mexicans
- generally results in good psych health
Africans found to have higher rates of disorders compared to mexican and american - Higher accult mex’s have been found to be more depressed than recent immigrants with lower accult scores
Individualism and Collectivism
- 4 levels
- 8 diff countries to evaluate extent to which actors behavior was socially acceptable (conclusion)
- HI is desire to be distinct but no better than one’s group
- VI desire to be better than everyone else
- HC desire for interdependence or willingness to share common goals with group
- VC is one who places his or her groups goals over personal goals
-collectivists more accepting of socially reserved behaviors than indvids; collectivsist reported higher levels of social anxiety than indvids. Suggests that those exp social anxiety more accepting of social withdrawl.
Western therapy in Arabs
- results in (4)
Arabs live in symbiotic relationship with families; extension of collective core; individualism is seen as deviant. Western psychotherapy may result in low self-disclosure, avoidance of self exploration, diff in emotional expressivity and diffs in conception of time.
Power distance
- small
- large
- Rudmin’s study
- PD’s other effect
- Is extent to which less powerful our accepting of inequal power and consider it normal
- Societies with small power distances believed in equal rights and power based on formal position and use of power should be legitmate among others
- Those with large power distances (Maylasia and Panama) believe powerful have privaelges, power based on family, and whoever holds power is right
- Rudmin analayzed 33 nations, found that power distance neg correlated with suicide rates (nations with hi power dist had lower suicide rates but not case for young women) Hypothesized that inflexibility in hi pd may offer sesne of security it could have adverse affect for women who don’t value gender equality.
- PD also influences intervention methods. Hi PD found to sanction norm of sbmissivness to superiors and pref for leaders to make decisions; Client may view therapist as superior
Uncertainty Avoidance
- high (behaviors)
- UA predicts
- study of UA relationship between
- Extent to which ppl in culture are made nervious by situations that are unclear and unpredicatable. They try to avoid and maintain strict codes of behavior and a belief in absolute truths
- In general, nations with hi UA more active, aggressive, emotional and intolerant
- UA predicts diffs in levels of subj well being across nations: Low have high scores for subjective well-being.
- Study of 11 countries found relationship btwn scores of UA and phobic anxiety; hi UA predict high levels on fears of bodily illness/death, sexual aggressivness, and harmless animals
