Social drift theory Flashcards
what is social drift theory
the idea that the individuals drift to the bottom of society when they have a mental health problem, as it takes away any status they may have
what does the social drift theory explain
This theory tries to explain why there is a relationship between social class and schizophrenia
why is schizophrenia one of the disorders that is strongly to class
This is because working class people are five times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than higher social groups.
what happens to the working class people who have schizophrenia
Middle and upper class people who develop schizophrenia do not stay in the social class they were born into. By the time they have contact with psychiatric services, patients have often moved into a lower social class.
disengagement of individuals
when people withdraw from groups and activities
rejection by society
when the majority does not accept and actively excludes certain individuals
what does social drift theory suggest about people with schizophrenia
people with schizophrenia get caught in a cycle, which leads to a downward spiral into poverty and loss status
disengagement of individuals in social drift theory
The cycle involves the disengagement of individuals who do not feel part of society, possibly because of the symptoms they are suffering. As individuals begin to ‘drop out’ and stop following social norms, they then experience rejection by society.
rejection by society in social drift theory
Rejection leads to further disengagement, which results in further rejection and so on. It is very difficult for anyone to recover from being at the bottom of society. When this also involves having schizophrenia, it is then very hard for that person to ‘get better’
criticisms of social drift theory (1)
there are problems with establishing cause and effect in social drift theory. Rather than schizophrenia driving people into the lower social classes, an alternative theory (Social Causation) is that being in the lower social classes drives people to develop schizophrenia. In other words, factors associated with being at the bottom of society - poverty, living in a deprived area, being more likely to be a victim of crime, more discrimination, feeling excluded - lead to stressors that trigger schizophrenia.
criticisms of social drift theory (2)
Physical factors associated with low social classes may be the cause of schizophrenia.
Factors such as complications in pregnancy and childbirth can increase a child’s chances of developing schizophrenia.
So can poor diet and nutrition as a child grows up. These are more likely to be issues for lower class families, which may explain why many people with schizophrenia are found in this class - especially as most people end up in the same position in society as their parents.
criticisms of social drift theory (3)
There may be a bias in diagnosis.
Rather than more people with schizophrenia ending up in the lower social classes, it may be that psychiatrists and other professionals are more likely to diagnose this group of people with the disorder. For example, they may assume that people from lower classes are more likely to be suffering from schizophrenia because of everyday stress, whereas a person from the higher classes may just be seen as ‘eccentric’ if their behaviour is bizarre or unusual. It does not help that psychologists often belong to the higher classes and so may not relate to working class people enough to understand their problems properly.
criticisms of social drift theory (4)
- There is too much focus on the role of society.
Critics say that rather than just looking at wider social factors, theories should focus closer to home’ to look at the family as a cause of schizophrenia. There is evidence that family conflict, domineering parents, or families that express high levels of emotion could contribute to the disorder.
criticisms of social drift theory (5)
Focusing on the interaction between the sufferer and society tends to ignore biological factors involved in schizophrenia.
Even if society makes matters worse by rejecting people with schizophrenia, the fact is that the disorder still needs to start somewhere and there is a lot of evidence that it starts with genes that affect the way the brain works.
