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The presence of an ever-pervading duality in the daily lives of people is no hidden secret. In
almost every aspect of life, there exists two contrasting alternatives (e.g. good and evil, small
and big, tall and short, justice and injustice, etc.). Human behavior is no exception. As long as
can be remembered, the actions of people have been either admired or frowned-upon, with
the labels ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ been ascribed in each circumstance (Scott, 2012). In order
to ascertain what characterizes normal behavior, it is important to know what abnormal
behavior is, and then apply a negation to it. To accomplish this, the essay would establish the
identification criteria for abnormal behavior, as well as defend the position that culture does
indeed influence abnormal behavior (as advanced by Culturalists).
There are varied prescribed ways of determining what constitutes an abnormality in habits.
These include statistical infrequency (which is a situation where a particular behavior is
relatively uncommon/rare in a population), violation of social norms (the tendency for
behavior to defy the prescribed ways of living in a society), failure to function adequately
(where an individual is unable to live capably due to some behavior), and a deviation from
ideal mental health (McLeod, 2018). In conference, the above-mentioned serve as a trusted
standard for determining/identifying atypical behavior.
It would be convenient, and thus necessary to identify the underlying causes of abnormality
in individuals. However, this would ultimately prove to be a difficult task. Why? Because
there is controversy surrounding this particular subject. As a result, two schools of thought,
which are diametrically opposed, have been formed. On one hand, there are those who
believe strongly that diagnosis for abnormal behavior are similar everywhere, with just a few
(insignificant) cross-cultural differences. These would be classified as the Universalist school
of thought. On the other hand, there are those who are convinced that abnormality in behavior
is not similar in every geographical location as earlier believed. They maintain instead that
the way of living, norms, and political systems of a people influence their behavior to no
small degree (Lieberman, 2006). This conviction is based on the belief that although there
may exist certain cardinal characteristic of abnormal behavior (that are common), the real
sign (and not the symptoms) is a belief that makes the person/victim unable to handle his
emotions to a socially-accepted level. The adherent of such an orientation are the Culturalists
(Draguns, 1997).
Universalists, such as A.W Loranger and Eric Berne, stubbornly maintain the view that
culture is insignificant in causing abnormal behavior. The do concede, however, that there are
cross cultural differences between the various groups which comprise our social world,
although it can be regarded as indicative of expression, and not the essence of the disorder.
For instance, while avoidant and borderline personality disorders are prevalent among global
populations, it was found that Indians and Kenyans are less affected by it (Ayan and Calliess,
2005). This study, conducted by Armand Loranger could mean culture is or is not an
important factor in determining abnormality, although universalist lean more towards the
latter than the former. A major criticism against the Universalist position is migration, which
is the fact that the information available on the diagnosis of the various conditions (as
stipulated in the DSM and ICD) has been from people who are alien to the societies from
which the data was collected (Aina, n.d). It would not be right for a stranger to project their
own standards unto a group (even an indigenous one) with preexisting systems. It would
invariably lead to reporting false data.
The Culturalist position is based on the subjectivity of experiences (where the subjective
object is the community/society). According to Olatunji F. Aina “Mental health and culture
are intertwined. Culture is a great determinant of mental wellbeing and state of
psychopathology” (Aina, n.d) That is the basis on the Culturalist position. Culture can be
understood in two senses: the first as the characteristics demonstrated by people who have
differences in geography, political idiosyncrasies, and well as language (which is the common
conception of culture); and also as the shared social experiences of a group defined on the
basis of its origin, the racial characteristics of its members.
Now, one may ask whether culture is truly an important factor in diagnosing abnormal
behavior, because there are some conditions which are indeed universal. Then, he or she
could cite depression as a typical instance of an atypical behavior. In response, a supporter of
the cultural influence on behavior would assert that although all cultures do indeed record
instances of depression, the expression and triggers differ. To elaborate, it is more common to
be afflicted with personality disorders in industrial than developing societies (Ayan and
Calliess). This can be attributed to variants in social structure, where developing societies
embrace a collective culture, while their industrial counterparts adopt an individualistic
lifestyle, preferring to be unique than common.
Also, there are many other instances (cultures) which demonstrate cultural influence in
determining behavior. These are referred to as culture-bound syndromes (CBS), and can be
defined as a broad classification which includes some behavioral, cognitive, and affective
manifestations seen in specific cultures (Balhara, 2011; Simons, 2001). The Koro tradition of
Malaysia is one of many. The men have a fear of losing their genitals. They believe it could
recede into their bodies, and so to prevent this, they apply weights to their testes (to keep it
hanging). To an outsider, the practice would seem irrational and ridiculous (it does not make
sense to think your genitals can retract into one’s body). But they believe it all the same, and
defend it as necessary when probed. While the Koro seems disturbed to, say the Westerner,
the American culture of thinness would be equally unreasonable/abnormal to the Malaysian.
The culture being described refers to the tendency for women to purge themselves of food,
and even deny themselves food (a necessity for a long and healthy life) in order to maintain a
certain figure. Another tradition which can be falsely described as abnormal is the Ghanaian
(particularly the Northern regions) tradition of marking the bodies of children with sharp
objects as a form of tribal identification. Cutting oneself is considered a personality disorder
in the United States (Ayan and Calliess, 2005), and yet is considered normal in Ghana. More
instances of these culture-bound syndromes are Ghost Sickness, and Taiji Kyofusho (Borders,
2018).
References
Ayan, S.J and Calliess, I.T. (2005). Abnormal as Norm. Scientific American Mind, 16(1), 12-
13. doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind0405-12
Balhara Y. P. (2011). Culture-bound Syndrome: Has it Found its Right Niche? Indian journal
of psychological medicine, 33(2), 210–215. https://doi.org/10.4103/0253-7176.92055
Borders, A. (2018). Culture Bound Syndromes. Retrieved from
https://sacwellness.com/culture-bound-syndromes/
Draguns, J.G. (1997). Abnormal Behavior Patterns Across Cultures: Implications For
Counselling And Psychotherapy. International Journal for Intercultural Relations, 21(2),
213-248.
Lieberman, D. (2006). Causal Explanations of Human Behavior: From Culture to Psychology
or from Psychology to Culture? Psychological Inquiry, 17(2), 109-115. Retrieved June 4,
2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/20447309
McLeod, S. (2018). Abnormal Psychology. Retrieved from
https://www.simplypsychology.org/abnormal-psychology.html
Omigbodun, O., & Oyebode, F. (Eds.). (2017). Contemporary Issues in Mental Health Care
in sub-Saharan Africa. Ibadan: BookBuilders Editions Africa. Retrieved June 4, 2020, from
www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvhn09vq
Scott, C.E. (2012). What is ‘Normal’? Retrieved from
https://www.philosophytalk.org/shows/what-normal
Simons, R.C. (2001). Introduction to Culture-Bound Syndromes. Psychiatric Times, 18(11).
Retrieved from https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/cultural-psychiatry/introduction-culture-
bound-syndromes