Deviant Deviancy? Rec. for field site for psych. anth?
PETER451@DELPHI.COM (PETER451@news.delphi.com)
6 Dec 1994 05:16:36 -0000
Im not entirely sure this is a worthwhile thing to post,
but Im really looking for all the help I can get.
Im an undergraduate Anthropolgy student interested in "Deviancy"/
"Psychological" anthro. (Im a neurosci. and behavior double major)
Im looking for a location to do field research for my thesis...
my problem is that most of the material on these topics dates from mid-70's
or earlier, Im interested in addressing the emic/etic concerns
associated with applying Western Psychology to other cultures...
for example, it strikes me that a disorder like Bulimia is pretty
culture-specific. I releize their are problems
with making an easy seperation between psychology and physiology.
What it comes down to is, I have my ideas, but finding a place to apply
them is proving rather difficult. Ive looked at so called "Culture
Bound Syndromes" and Im certainly interested in them
(esp. the "arctic hysteria" of the eskimos and the "old hag" syndrome
(sleep paralysis) discovered in certain newfoundland fishing communities...
Is it possible to still study these behaviors, or have they been
westernized away?
Does anyone have reccomendations of interesting examples of "deviant
Deviancy" (Types of "madness" or deviant behavior that seem at contrast
to accepted american/psychiatric ideas) or examples of interesting
treatment of those considered "mad" within a paticular culture, or
that we would consider mad(Im trying to avoid shamanism here as its
over-studied)?
Any help or recommendations of sources(articles/books) would be GREATLY
APPRECIATED.
thanks,
-Peter G.
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