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binayocheved's review against another edition
4.0
“If the irony isn’t already obvious, let me make it clear: offering the latest Western mental health theories in an attempt to ameliorate the psychological stress caused by globalization is not a solution; it is a part of the problem.”
an intriguing & important consideration of how mental health conceptions, too, can be a site of cultural imperialism & globalization.
an intriguing & important consideration of how mental health conceptions, too, can be a site of cultural imperialism & globalization.
dorhastings's review against another edition
4.0
When I first started reading this book, I really wasn't in the mood and figured I'd continue to not like the book. However, the more I read, the more I liked it (and the more frustrated I grew, of course). The book looks at the influence of Western culture and its conceptualization of mental illness and healing across the world. The general idea is that both Westerners and those of other cultures hold up Western culture (and it's medical definitions, therapies, and medicine) as being the most correct and effective. This culture replaces each unique culture, and Watters gives four extensive examples: the rise of anorexia in Hong Kong, PTSD in Sri Lanka, schizophrenia in Zanzibar, and the mega-marketing of depression in Japan.
I wanted to get into each of these chapters, and I might eventually, but it's enough to say that each chapter is unique and studies a mental illness, but each also contributes to the bigger picture of how we construct mental illnesses, their descriptions, and their treatments. Overall I found the book to be inclusive. It wasn't entirely a rant against Western society, but it challenges us to consider our participation in society as well as in the context of helping other people by using our own ideas about mental illness but entirely disregarding their ideas. The end of the book really clinches it for me: "What is certain is that in other places in the world, cultural conceptions of the mind remain more intertwined with a variety of religions and cultural beliefs as well as the ecological and social world. They have not yet separated the mind from the body, nor have they disconnected individual mental health from that of the group. With little appreciation of these differences, we continue our efforts to convince the rest of the world to think like us. Given the level of contentment and psychological health our cultural beliefs about the mind have brought us, perhaps it's time that we rethink our generosity."
I wanted to get into each of these chapters, and I might eventually, but it's enough to say that each chapter is unique and studies a mental illness, but each also contributes to the bigger picture of how we construct mental illnesses, their descriptions, and their treatments. Overall I found the book to be inclusive. It wasn't entirely a rant against Western society, but it challenges us to consider our participation in society as well as in the context of helping other people by using our own ideas about mental illness but entirely disregarding their ideas. The end of the book really clinches it for me: "What is certain is that in other places in the world, cultural conceptions of the mind remain more intertwined with a variety of religions and cultural beliefs as well as the ecological and social world. They have not yet separated the mind from the body, nor have they disconnected individual mental health from that of the group. With little appreciation of these differences, we continue our efforts to convince the rest of the world to think like us. Given the level of contentment and psychological health our cultural beliefs about the mind have brought us, perhaps it's time that we rethink our generosity."
abstract_amber77's review
5.0
Though this was an assigned reading for my Abnormal Psych class, I was really taken in by this book and Watters' expressed experiencess. Watters chooses to investigate 4 different diagnoses in the DSM-IV, and how the symptoms present and the disease is viewed in other cultures. He takes a look at anorexia in Hong Kong, PTSD in Sri Lanka, schizophrenia in Zanzibar, and depression in Japan. Historically each of these regions held their own views of each respective "disorder," and as a result the symptoms and treatment of each disorder were different from what we know here in the U.S. Over time, however, Western thinking has creeped and influenced the way each of these cultures view these illnesses. In the case of Japan, it is particularly disturbing as it is a pharmaceutical company that came in and promoted the reframing of what depression looked like to them. With a philosophical slant, this book was intended to get the reader to think about the Western influence and how it is gradually "fixing" systems that were never broken in the first place. If you are interested in mental health, geography, cultural differences, or the impact of Western thinking, I highly recommend reading this book. Not only is it an informational read, but it's entertaining as well.