Social explanation of Schizophrenia & Evaluation

Question 1

What does the social explanation for schizophrenia emphasise?

Answer 1

It emphasises the role of the social situation, for example the environment the individual lives in and their social class.

Question 2

What do statistics show about where schizophrenia is normally found?

Answer 2

Statistics show that the majority of schizophrenics in the UK come from lower classes, or from groups such as immigrants.

Question 3

What is the hypothesis called?

Answer 3

The social causation hypothesis (also called the environmental breeder hypothesis)

Question 4

What does this explanation suggest about where schizophrenia will most likely develop?

Answer 4

It suggests that those from lower social classes who are living in urban areas are more at risk of developing schizophrenia.

Question 5

What are the implications of being in a lower class?

Answer 5

Being in a lower social class increases the stress factors for a person, for example the stress resulting from high population density, high levels of unemployment, and poor living conditions.

Question 6

What can increased levels of stress trigger?

Answer 6

This increased level of stress can trigger the disorder in individuals who are already vulnerable as a result of their genes or early experiences.

Question 7

What evidence supports the social causation hypothesis? (research)

Answer 7

Research by Dohrenwend et al (1992) showed the incidence of schizophrenia in lower classes is significantly greater than in higher classes therefore supporting the social causation hypothesis.

Question 8

What evidence supports the social causation hypothesis? (race)

Answer 8

Cooper (2005) reviewed a number of studies and found that schizophrenia is much more often found in decaying inner-city areas than in poor rural areas. Schizophrenia and other psychoses are almost seven times more common in African–Caribbean people than in white people who have emigrated.

Question 9

Weakness in relationship to a casual link.

Answer 9

subsequent research has questioned a causal link such as, one possibility is that lower class families are exposed to more risk factors such as infection levels and stress.

Question 10

Weakness in relations to subsequent data.

Answer 10

However there is still uncertainty whether such features are diagnostic as non-schizophrenics are not screened.

Question 11

Weakness in terms of consequence.

Answer 11

he higher level of schizophrenics in poorer areas could be a result of social drift as they are drawn into such areas.