The criteria of abnormality are different in European and Asian countries because the norms of the society and culture vary considerably in the two continents. However, some features of abnormality could be deemed abnormal globally e.g. Danger is, “a pattern of functioning that is marked by carelessness, poor judgment, hostility, or misinterpretation” (Comer, 1992).
Whenever these factors are operating in an individual, he or she could become dangerous and cause harm to self or others. This is global and any person who is acting in a hostile and threatening manner will be deemed abnormal in both Asia and Europe.
Definition:
In order to understand the term abnormality, we need to first see the definition of normal. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Normal as “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”. On the other hand, it defines Abnormal as, “deviating from the normal or average”. Looking at these definitions, it is easy to understand that the term normal applies to behaviour that conforms to the standards of the society and culture. The term Abnormal is used to describe what deviates from this norm. This deviation from the norm is called ‘Deviance’.
Abnormality as defined by APA Concise Dictionary of Psychology means, “relating to any deviation from what is considered typical, usual, or healthy, particularly if the deviation is considered harmful or maladaptive” (2006). This definition can be applied to how a person thinks, feels and most importantly behaves. Behaviour is what is visible to other people and if it deviates from what the culture deems appropriate, then this would be called Abnormal Behaviour.
Butcher et al. (2014) have listed seven different indicators which may help to define abnormality. These include:
- Suffering.
- Maladaptiveness.
- Statistical Deviancy.
- Violation of the Standards of Society.
- Social discomfort.
- Irrationality
- Unpredictability and Dangerousness.
This shows that there is no single factor which can be used to pinpoint what ‘is’ or ‘is not’ abnormal. However the authors go on to conclude that, “Decisions about abnormal behavior always involve social judgments and are based on the values and expectations of society at large.” So whenever we look at a certain behaviour, we need to see the context of that behaviour especially in regards to the culture that behaviour is seen in.
Maddux et al. (2005) describe norms as “values, beliefs and historical practices of the culture”. Elsewhere, they give the definition of culture as, “values, beliefs and practices that pertain to a given ethno-cultural group”. Comer. R. J (1992) state that, “abnormal behavior, thoughts and emotions are those that violate a society’s ideas about proper functioning.” So we can deduce from this that the rules of culture and society, in the context of the behaviour, play a significant role in deciding what is normal or abnormal.
Examples of everyday behaviour:
Some examples of how an everyday behaviour could be labelled normal or abnormal in the two continents, Asia and Europe are as following:
1) A child who voices his opinions and disagrees with certain perspectives of adults around him might be considered rude in Asian countries like Pakistan, Japan, etc. but might be seen as a sign of confidence in European countries.
2) An independent single woman who prioritises her job instead of marrying and raising children might be considered normal in European countries but may be considered deviant in Asian countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
3) A man after retirement deciding to rest at home and being cared by his children might be considered dysfunctional by European countries but it might be considered normal or even expected in Asian countries.
4) A young man continuing to live with his parents after graduation may be deemed dysfunctional and abnormal by the European society but living with family as well as joint family system is considered a fabric of the Subcontinental culture.
5) A woman consuming alcohol at a gathering in Europe will be considered normal while in Islamic countries in Asia it will be considered abnormal and even punishable by law in some Muslim countries.
Cultural Examples:
There are other examples related to abnormal psychology and how they present in the two continents.
1) The folklore and beliefs of the society might make a difference in how someone with mental illness might present. An Asian person will tend to claim he is possessed by jinn or is under effect of magic (Jadoo). On the other hand a European person might claim that she was abducted by aliens.
2) A person deciding to go to a Fakeer (or someone who claims spiritual or magical healing) for his problems and not a doctor will be considered normal in certain Asian countries while it will be consider nonsense and abnormal in some European Countries.
Psychological Examples:
Some examples of conditions specific to Asia or being diagnosed differently in European countries are as following:
1) Hwabyung is “a culture related anger syndrome in Korea. The symptoms include a subjective feeling of anger with resultant phsyical and behavioral symptoms”. It arises when a person thinks that life is unfair and therefore becomes angry. This is seen in Korean culture especially in menopausal women because expressing anger is deemed inappropriate by that culture. Western Doctors might diagnose this as depression.
2) Koro in China and Singapore is a delusional disorder where the sufferer believes that their sexual organs are retracting. This will be diagnosed as such in these regions of Asia however most probably will be diagnosed as Body Dysmorphic Disorder elsewhere.
Conclusion:
Hence, while there may be similarities on some levels, on others the criteria for abnormality varies significantly between Asian and European countries. Since practices in various cultures are so diverse, a psychologist or therapist should be aware of such differences in order to diagnose and manage correctly.
References:
- Comer, R. J. (1992) Abnormal psychology. New York: W H Freeman.
- VandenBos, G. R. (ed.) (2009). APA concise dictionary of psychotherapy., Washington: American Psychological Association.
- Butcher J. N., Hooley J. M. & Mineka S. (2014). Abnormal psychology (16th Edition). London: Pearson
- Maddux J. E., Goselling J. T & Winstead, B. A. (2005) Psychopathology – foundation for a contemporary understanding. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Assossiates.
- American Psyciatric Assossiation. (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (fifth edition) DSM-5. United States: American Psyciatric Assossiation
