Cultural syndromes: Socially learned but real

Marion Godman

doi:10.4013/fsu.2016.172.13

Abstract

While some of mental disorders due to emotional distress occur cross-culturally, others seem to be much more bound to particular cultures. In this paper, I propose that many of these “cultural syndromes” are culturally sanctioned responses to overwhelming negative emotions. I show how tools from cultural evolution theory can be employed for understanding how the syndromes are relatively confined to and retained within particular cultures. Finally, I argue that such an account allows for some cultural syndromes to be or become mental disorders and also steers clear of some of the anti-realist trappings associated with a social constructivism of cultural syndromes. Keywords: cultural syndromes, mental disorders, emotional distress, cultural evolution, social learning, social constructivism.

Highlights

There is considerable agreement that most emotions are adaptive or at least broadly functional (Frank, 1993; Tooby and Cosmides, 1990; Linquist, 2007; De Block and Cuypers, 2012)
Still some emotions pose occasional but systematic challenges to our well-being: we are overcome by sadness, grief and loss; we become traumatized by fear and shock related to violence and war; and we develop mental disorders due to emotional suffering
I propose that tools from cultural evolution theory can be employed as a framework for understanding how the syndromes are confined to and retained within particular cultures, while steering clear of some of the anti-realist trappings associated with a social constructivism of cultural syndromes

Summary

Introduction

There is considerable agreement that most emotions are adaptive or at least broadly functional (Frank, 1993; Tooby and Cosmides, 1990; Linquist, 2007; De Block and Cuypers, 2012). Still some emotions pose occasional but systematic challenges to our well-being: we are overcome by sadness, grief and loss; we become traumatized by fear and shock related to violence and war; and we develop mental disorders due to emotional suffering. While some of these mental disorders due to emotional distress occur cross-culturally, others seem to be much more bound to particular cultures. I propose that many of these “cultural syn- In “Are cultural syndromes social constructions?”, I turn to the more philosophically oriented task of showing how a cultural evolutionist need not be committed to a social constructivism of cultural syndromes and can allow for them to be or develop into mental disorders

Cultural syndromes

Social learning of cultural syndromes

Are cultural syndromes social constructions?

Conclusion