ABNORMALITY AND ITS IMPACT Abnormality and its impact

Abnormality and its impact

Definitions:

An abnormal personal condition producing from defective genes or developmental deficiencies

Retardation sufficient to fall outside normal range of intelligence

Severe mental deficiency, behaviour that breaches rule or etiquette or custom or morality

Cultural and sub cultural difference impact on definition of abnormality:

The distinction between usual' and 'abnormal' demeanour is not clear-cut. Psychologists have tried to define abnormality in some distinct ways. (Cheung 1991:12)

Limitations of delineations of abnormality are: Statistical Infrequency: Does not account for communal acceptability or type of behaviour. For example, very high intelligence is abnormal because it is rare. Also, eccentric behaviour that is rare but acceptable is also abnormal.

Parallel to revolution occurring with regard to development of psychopharmacological therapies and biological theories of mental disorders, health sciences and professions are undergoing the less visible change in theory and practice that promises to radically alter traditional notions about nature of mental health. The main underlying tenant of this occurrence is belief that human behavior and its social determinants are critical variables for understanding etiology, treatment, and prevention of many mental disorders previously attributed to biological causes. Known as cross-cultural psychology, it is defined as study of behavior and experience as it occurs in different cultures, is influenced by culture, or results in changes in existing cultures. Cross- cultural psychology is not in itself the separate branch of psychology, but rather the method, the point of view, applicable in principle to all other areas of psychology. (Pilowsky 1997:5)

As the nation of immigrants, USA has evolved into the multicultural society. The demographic changes that are occurring due to immigration and high fertility rates among non-white population will continue to enhance country's cultural diversity. Most researchers, however, address race and ethnicity as demographic characteristics rather than as distinct predisposing cultural and social environmental orientations.

This approach has resulted in research and analyses that ignore contributory role of sociocultural factors to mental health behaviors. Research is needed to understand how these factors contribute to individual and group coping and adaptive mechanisms, in alleviating distinct socioeconomic and psychological disadvantages of categorical membership. Culture should be conceptualized as the potential individual and group resource, providing psychological, social, and personal identification and group connectedness for racial minorities in particular, and humans in general. (Dana 1993:12)

In general, culture consists of those aspects of life that people construct and share within the specific reference group (e.g., race, ethnic, social class, age cohort, gender, nationality, and profession). The period 'culture' is so widely used and multidimensional in its applications (e.g., learned as are against to innate behavior; tools humans conceive; and values and customs) that its accurate meaning varies from one position to another. Culture can be seen as collective heritage of the people handed down from generation to generation. It encompasses dialect, religious beliefs, customs, directions of etiquette, and concepts utilised by persons to coordinate and interpret their lives and existence. Thus, culture refers to way the people live, rules of behavior, and conduct they set for ...