Document Type
Article
Abstract
What does it mean to say that mental illness is a cultural problem? People use words like "crazy," "nuts," "wacko," "psycho," "mad," or "insane" without necessarily thinking about what they really mean. We keep our fear of mental illness at bay by using these words to make fun of behavior we think is odd. But we don't usually think that these words also classify people who have been diagnosed with mental disorders. There is no middle ground between everyday facetious language and the professional, technical language of psychiatry. This failure of language reflects the failure of our culture to accommodate people with mental disorders as complete human beings with a right to dignity.
Publisher's Statement
This event is sponsored by ICS and Wood County Public Library.
Repository Citation
Howes, Geoffrey, "Mental Illness as Cultural Problem with Examples from Modem Austrian Literature" (1997). ICS Events. 4.
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ics_events/4
Publication Date
11-16-1997