CRI365H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Japanese Americans, Mental Distress, Enculturation
Document Summary
Crime and mind lecture 8: culture bound syndromes syndromes only found in some cultures and not others. Western psychiatrists are not comfortable with these syndromes: basic cultural defence: when someone recently arrives in other country, from a different culture they might do something that is accepted in their culture that violates law in host country. Japanese american living in us for 17 years. Discovered husband had mistress, attempted to kill herself and children, succeed drowning children but failed in killing herself. In japan her behaviour is seen as wrong, but comprehensible, shing-ju logic is given: that she is killing herself of the deep shame of her husband having a mistress. In japan- would have been convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Crucial point: her action is seen as mentally unstable but acceptable. To a japanese person this does not look crazy they agreed to a plea deal of voluntary manslaughter in us: chen case: Mobilized issues about cultural defence in us.