PSYC 241 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Deinstitutionalisation, Degeneration Theory, Trepanning

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 241
• Professor: Shannon Zaitsoff

Document Summary

Revolutions in philosophy and science such as the renaiisance and era of enlightenment have profound effects on society: ex: darwin"s natural selection. Historical development of our ideas about abnormality reveal that the ideas are one aspect of the views at the time. Earlier ideas of abnormality were accepted by those who made decisions about the insane and the sufferers themselves. Bizarre treatments may have helped sufferers because they believed the procedure to be effective. What has been seen as evidence of madness has changed over the course of evolving societies as well as treatments. A society that explains everyday events as a result of supernatural cuases will view madness similarly o o. Supernatural causes: causes beyond the understanding of ordinary mortals, such as fods, demons or magic. In this society, madness is the result of possession by demons: treatment would involve exorcism.