CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DIAGNOSIS ABNORM – NORMS & DIAGNOSIS #3 PART 1

DIAGNOSIS IN TERMS OF WHETHER DISORDERS ARE ABSOLUTE (SAME IN ALL CULTURES)  Cultural differences in the display of certain disorders  Etic approach (universalist) assumes cross-cultural equivalence of diagnostic concepts and underlying processes  Emic approach (relativist) assumes psychopathology has a prominent role for culture  Cultural variations in the prevalence of disorders

DIAGNOSIS IN TERMS OF WHETHER DISORDERS ARE CULTURALLY RELATIVE (UNIQUE TO EVERY CULTURE)  Possible stereotyping of ethnic groups may affect the validity of diagnosis  Abnormality may be culturally constructed

DIAGNOSIS IN TERMS OF WHETHER DISORDERS ARE UNIVERSAL (PRESENT IN ALL CULTURES)  Culture bound syndromes  Culture blindness: The problem of identifying symptoms of a psychological disorder if they are not the norm in the culture