Lecture 15: Culture Flashcards
culture
the collection of beliefs, values, symbolic meanings, normative behaviours, and normative practices of a human group
cultural values
the standards people use for judging what is just or right in society
cultural beliefs
- Tenets or convictions that a group of people consider to be true
- Often stem from cultural values
cultural symbols
the physical manifestation or representation of an ideology of a particular culture
normative behaviours and practices
shared perceptions of how people are supposed to routinely behave in a culture
laws
right vs. illegal
taboos
right vs. forbidden
folkways
right vs. illegal
Western vs. non-Western culture
European & North American vs. everywhere else
Modern vs. traditional culture
societies where norms change vs. societies where norms and expectations are passed through generations
Individualistic vs. collectivist culture
privilege individual rights and autonomy vs. group loyalty and dependence on others
health
a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not only the absence of disease
cultural belief systems and well-being
- There are culturally defined ideal “role types” for individuals
- Those who follow these role types will experience a greater sense of well-being
- Societies have normative expectations for behaviour
- Those who follow the norm will experience a greater sense of well-being
- We identify others’ behaviour through our sense of self
Diathesis-stress hypothesis
stressful environments trigger biological vulnerability toward a particular condition
well-being
personal characteristics + cultural norms/ expectations + social status
culture and mental health
- Every culture recognizes that mental illness exists
- Universal prevalence of mental illness ≠ universal recognition of labelling of mental illness
- Severe illness = impaired cognition & affect
- Similar biology
- Different symptoms and social reactions
Culture-bound syndromes
mental health conditions that are only recognized within a specific society or culture
5 common characteristics of culture-bound syndromes
- The culture recognizes this set of behaviours as a disease
- People who are not part of that culture are not familiar with that condition, and likely will not understand it
- People who are part of that culture will widely be familiar with that disease.
- We have not identified any biological differences that are linked to this condition
- These conditions are normally recognized and treated by the folk medicine tradition of the culture rather than in the predominant healthcare system
example of a culture-bound syndrome
- Voodoo death from being cursed by a medicine man or a sorcerer
- The individual’s strong belief in the curse is what causes the physiological reactions in the body
Across cultures, sociological research emphasizes the following questions
- Do deviant behaviours manifest uniformly
- Is the understanding of the cause of the disease the same?
- Is the distribution of disease in society the same?
- Can you treat these illnesses in the same way?
Black folk don’t get no severe depression reading
- Black people described depression in different ways than white people did, which may affect prevalence rates
- They were seen as “weak” if they showed signs of depression or took medication
South Asian Youth in the Peel Region reading
- South Asian youth in the Peel region report conflict with their parents surrounding cultural norms and dating
- This can result in mental distress
- Potential solutions: having more South Asian therapists, more South Asian representation promoting the need for mental health
3 ways culture influences access to mental health care
- Accessibility (ex. Universal health care vs. employment-based health insurance)
- Appropriateness (ex. Blood transfusions in Jehovah’s Witnesses)
- Effectiveness (ex. Culture of therapist)
