Saints, Scholars and Schizophrenics - 1506 Words

Saints, Scholars, and Schizophrenics: Mental Illness in Rural Ireland. Nancy Scheper-Hughes 28 November 2011 Anthropology 1103- 001 Scheper-Hughes, Nancy 1979 Saints, Scholars and Schizophrenics: University of California Press â€Å"It is generally accepted that schizophrenia is a condition in which the person alters his representation of reality in order to escape or withdraw from seemingly unresolvable conflicts and from social interactions that are painful.†(Nancy quotes Hill, Lewis B 1955) as important defining quote of what is incorporated in characteristics of schizophrenia. In the mid 1970’s, in rural Ireland, cases of mental illness and schizophrenia was abnormally high; Nancy Scheper in her ethnography uncovers possible†¦show more content†¦The attitude towards sex was implemented as shameful, dirty, and guilt covered. Older men, 30’s- late 40’s, were the most common relevance of schizophrenia, which Nancy implies has part to do with sexual repression of these men. Hopelessness was often common, and sexual appendages were seen as a burden, Nancy used a personal portrait of one of the patients of the hospital to show this. (pg.331) It seems Ballybran was  " caught in between old and new social systems and moral economics† (pg. 49). The Family structure was also a large part of development unusual social habits; children were neglected of personal interaction with mother necessary for early neurological development, but at the same time overly protected by isolation at a young age. Children were made tough by being beaten at home, school, and church and began to associate human touch with negative attributes instead of comfort. They were beaten into what was considered to be â€Å"a good Irish child†, expected to be quiet, out of sight, and not to ask for things such as sweets or attention. Depending on gender and position of being born, whether it to be first born child or the runt of the family, led to differences of their responsibilities into adulthood. The last born sons began to be expected to stay home and inherit the farm, Become the â€Å"scapegoat† of the family through their illness, forcingShow MoreRe latedEssay on Saints, Scholars, and Schizophrenics 2166 Words   |  9 PagesSaints, Scholars, and Schizophrenics is the ethnographic study of a small town of An Clochan on the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. Nancy Scheper-Hughes lived in this small village in order to gain perspective to why there was such a large number of schizophrenic cases within Ireland, and also why such a large percent were unmarried males. She wanted to dissect the issue of why these individuals were so prone to schizophrenia and what cultural factors cause these high rates. Scheper-Hughes interviewedRead MoreSaints, Scholars and Schizophrenics: Mental Illness in Rural Ireland.2308 Words   |  10 Pagesusing some form of birth control. The men are mostly shepherds, fisherman, and dairy farmers. (Scheper-hughes, 19) The people in the town sell canned goods, cigarettes, sugar and tea. It is said that the introduction of Christianity by the village saint Brendan the navigator started the period of the parish. Brandon and his band of holy monks spent a summer in ballybran on a mountain, which is now honored in his memory. They now call it mount Brandon. It is said that when Brandon was preying on aRead MoreAn Analysis Of Nancy Scheper Hughes s Saints, Scholars, And Schizophrenics Mental Illness910 Words   |  4 Pageslearn about the personality traits found among the Irish. Nancy Scheper-Hughes states that, â€Å"the Republic of Ireland has the highest hospitalization treatment rate for mental illness in the world† (Scheper-Hughes 60). The book titled, Saints, Scholars, and Schizophrenics Mental Illness in Rural Ireland, talks about the mental illness Schizophrenia and mentions reasons why the Irish population has been diagnosed with so many cases. Scheper-Hughes observes, â€Å"Schizophrenia is the core problem – more thanRead MoreCultural Dif ferences Between Social Systems And Human Relationships1614 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen argued that it may be inappropriate to speak of politics and kinship when referring to societies which themselves lack concepts of ‘politics† and â€Å"kinship†. In many cultures there are taboos, thing that people don’t speak of. Saints, Scholars and Schizophrenics by Nancy Scheper-Hughes the Irish people of â€Å"Ballybran† rarely talked about their emotions. In Pyramids and Nightclubs by L.L. Wynn, there are different cultures between Saudi Arabia and exciting Cairo. The Middle Eastern countries areRead MoreNancy Scheper-Hughes and the Question of Ethical Fieldwork Essay1967 Words   |  8 Pagestraveled to a village in rural Ireland which she later nicknamed â€Å"Ballybran† (Scheper-Hughes 2000-128)). Her findings there led her to publish Saints, Scholars and Schizophrenics: Mental Illness in Rural Ireland in 1979, in which she attempted to explain the social causes of Ireland’s surprisingly high rates of schizophrenia (Scheper-Hughes 2000:128). Saints was met with a backlash of criticism from both the anthropological community and the villagers who had served as her informants. The criticismRead More Columb us and the New World Discovery Essay4487 Words   |  18 Pagesof devastation and crime. George Santayana soon wrote of Columbus, in one of his Odes, He gave the world another world, and ruin Brought upon blameless, river-lov- ing nations, Cursed Spain with barren gold, and made the Andes Fiefs of Saint Peter. Today revisionism is in full flood. Much of it is useful and necessary. The one duty we owe to history, as Oscar Wilde said, is to rewrite it. The very phrase discovery of America is under a ban. It is pointed out, not unreasonably