Ubiquitously cultural bound syndrome is perceived to be a mental illness that is present in all societies but is also variable among different cultures. What may be definite as a mental illness to one culture may be definite as a customary conduct for another culture; which is why many of these illnesses sound absurd among individuals who are not being impacted by it (Culture Specific Diseases). Many of these cultural bound illnesses can also reflect how the media wants to perceive an individual. With the use of the media, individuals see what is acceptable among the culture, and what is looked down upon. These acceptable views that are being given to individuals does not only make them feel worthy if they attain these idealistic views, but can also cause negative connotations not only for the individual itself but for the extremities they potentially put up with in order to attain these culturally accepted views.
A cultural bound illness that is well accepted by the media is called “thigh gap”. This is a new obsession among teenage girls between the ages of thirteen and early twenties. A thigh gap is defined to have a “hollow cavity which appears between the tops of your legs when you stand with your feet together” (Brandes). Although many relate thigh gaps with an eating disorder, this is not entirely true for the reason that having a thigh gap depends on an individual’s body structure. Many individuals that are not born with a thigh gap mostly go under extreme dieting in order to attain this new obsession that is among the web. The social media that started this fashion statement is called Tumblr. Tumblr has influenced this new culturally accepted view because of the pictures that are being viewed of these supermodels that h...
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...cceptable cross-culturally. Although media does take a large part in creating a specific cultural illness, many other illnesses that are viewed culturally, are viewed by the society itself, and not by what the media is conveying others to do.
Works Cited
Banks. (n.d.). 'Culture' in culture-bound syndromes: the case of anorexia nervosa.. NCBI. Retrieved April 23, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/1376499/
Brandes, B. (2013, February 12). It's Time to Declare War On the Thigh Gap . VICE. Retrieved April 23, 2014, from http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/thigh-gap
Rare and Unusual Psychiatric Syndromes Part 2: Culture-Bound Conditions. (n.d.). Medscape . Retrieved April 23, 2014, from http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/culture-synd
(2010, October 7). Culture Specific Diseases. Retrieved , from http://anthro.palomar.edu/medical/med_4.htm
As noted previously, system justification theory suggests that individuals possess a motive to justify and rationalize the status quo. According to the theory, stereotypes are often used to bolster the status quo because they easily explain differences among groups and thereby justify inequalities. The most commonly held stereotypes about mental illness in Western society are that its sufferers are dangerous, incompetent and personally responsible for their illness (Dickstein, Vogt, Handa & Litz, 2010). Not surprisingly, stereotypes like these have resulted in the persistent stigma around mental illness that exists today.
Culture is a collection of religion, traditions, and beliefs that are passed down from generation to generation. Culture is created and maintained through the repetition of stories and behavior. It is never definite because it is continuously being modified to match current trends, however, historical principles are still relevant. With respect to mental illness, culture is crucial to how people choose to deal with society and the methods used to diagnose and cope with mental illnesses. In Watters’ The Mega-Marketing Depression of Japan, he focuses on how Japan and other cultures define depression, but also displays how the influence of American treatments in eastern countries eventually becomes the international standards. Even though the
Anorexia is a life threatening eating disorder that is characterized by self-starvation, and the urge to lose weight. The obsession of losing weight and the food one eats can lead to anorexia nervosa which is a serious mental disorder. Ethan Watters opens his arguments with the emergence of anorexia in Hong Kong. Watter argues that before, anorexia was a rare and unknown disorder in Hong Kong until it was replaced by the American version. The Asian community has been known for having an obsession for food whereby they share large amounts of meals with family, the issue of food refusal was not in the picture. This disorder of self starvation, and the urge to lose weight was started by adolescents in distress of gaining weight more than their peers because of western influence. The adolescents were impacted by the new wave of cultural shifts, and individualism. Watters use Dr. Lee w...
“The Globalization of Eating Disorders.” The McGraw-Hill Reader. Muller, Gilbert H. 12th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2014. 639-642. Print.
In “The Mega Marketing of Depression in Japan”, Ethan Watters draws attention to the ways in which concepts that are usually taken as concrete and standardized, such as depression or mental illness, are actually extremely varied and complex. In other words, people’s definition and the experience of such concepts are shaped by the cultures that they belong to. For example, if a Westerner experiences a depression, it will be different from ways that an Easterner will experience depression. However, despite the significant role that culture plays in determining people’s way of thinking, there is a certain limit to how influential culture can be; being aware of cultural differences and understanding why there are cultural differences can greatly
Anorexia nervosa is a psychosociological disease which affects young women. Anorexia is mainly a female's disease which has been evident for centuries-however, in the past twenty years, the incidence of this disorder has risen to horrifying proportions. It is characterized by the refusal to maintain body wight over a minimal normal weight for age and height; intense fear of gaining weight; a distorted body image; and, amenorrhea. (http://www.pgi.edu/hagopian.htm) This disorder becomes a disease when the mind starts to cause problems with one's physical well-being. A connection has been found between sociocultural pressures to achieve, familial characteristics, and individual personality traits.
It is no wonder that many girls are anorexic: it is from the media. The media’s promotion of super-skinny models has lead many young girls to believe that they are nothing. This is not true, and yet the media promotes it. The image of being “thin and beautiful” pushes young women to diet, which, in their attempt to fit into the “mold” of the model, may lead to anorexia. Approximately one to three percent of women in the United States are anorexic (Cha 1). Clothing companies, such as Calvin Klein, are to blame for this growing epidemic.
Paragraph 1- Girls can become victims of eating disorders because of society's promotion of an ideal thin female body. Models and stars shown in the fashion industry, magazines, movies, and other forms of media often appear very thin. These models are not a true reflection of the average female. Many are unnaturally thin, unhealthy or airbrushed. One former Victoria Secret model was shocked by the waiflike models that were shown on the runway during designer shows. A study referenced in the the article “Do Thin Models Warp Girls Body Image” describes how studies of girls as young as first grade think the culture is telling them to model themselves after celebrities who are svelte and beautiful. The same studies showed girls exposed to fashion magazines were most likely to suffer from poor body images. Psychologist and eating disorder experts agree the fashion industry has gone too far in showing dangerously thin images that women and young girls may try to emulate. The use of super slim models and stars, is sending the wrong message to young impressionable girls. These harsh influences lead us to think that thin is ideal body size. Seeing super thin models in the media plays a role in anorexia. Society’s promotion of a thin female body contributes to eating disorders for females striving to achieve this ideal bod...
van't Hof, Sonja. Anorexia Nervosa: The Historical and Cultural Specificity. Berwyn: Offsetdrukkerij Kanters B.V., 1994.
The Asian cultures make up a large portion of the world’s population, so being able to understand their way of dealing with psychological disorders is important. The way most of the Asian cultures view mental illness is vastly different from how Western cultures view mental illness. In a study it showed that “Asian Americans show stronger implicit mental illness stigma compared to Caucasian Americans” (Cheon & Chiao, 2012). One reason for this is that in Asian cultures they are more likely to attribute mental illness with some type of supernatural cause. This could include punishments by god or ancestors that they did not please by bad behavior or they may believe mental illness could be a result of a possession by an evil spirit. These types of beliefs lead to a stronger stigma against mental illness in Asian cultures. Since they believe that it can be caused by ...
In conclusion, media produces certain stereotypes both in behaviour and in style; it isolates audience from the true reality, the problem needs attention.
Many teens today are faced with unrealistic body standards. Social media has an huge influence on how teens see their body. They may see a model or their favorite celebrity and ask themselves why don't they look like that, or how can they look like that. These body standards can cause some to body shame others. As social media continues to deem what is attractive and what is not, the number of women dissatisfied with their body will increase.
In the article Issues and Controversies says, "Throughout most of human history, people with mental illness were ostracized, isolated, and persecuted." ( Infobase,1) This belief system can give causation of mental illness in different cultures and such influences in a community will always be in a negative manner. Various societies struggle with the notion of mental health. The standards of every culture believe to be considered normal, natural, or healthy. These views lead to disagreements about the causes, diagnosis, and the treatment of the disorders. Many people with mental problems are discriminated against because of their mental disorder. Mental illness and stigma refers to the view of the person with mental illness as having undesirable traits. Stigma leads to negative behavior, stereotyping, and discriminatory behavior towards the person with mental health issues. This stigma causes the affected person to experience denial or shame of their condition. Perceived stigma can result in the patient being scared to seek help. Stigma can be divided into two perspectives, public and self stigma. Upadhyay says, "Public stigma occurs when the general
The "Anorexia Nervosa" BMJ: British Medical Journal 334.7599 (2007): 894-98. Print. The. Hay, Phillipa J., and Josue Bacaltchuk. The "Bulimia Nervosa" BMJ: British Medical Journal, 323 (2001). Print.