Anthroplolgy

2015 Psychology lecture 2prof elham aljammas

Anthropology Anthropology is a social science that studies the origin and social relationship of human being

Psychosocial growth

The effect of early life experience on adult mental health and exploration for deviance or maladaptive behaviour are still controversial issues .Bowlby –stated that capable of forming attachments and of other experience later in life were favarable .Similary many successful adults come from deprived homes and appear to be weak to the stressors

Through many studies found that the effect of family relationships on personality and mental ability appear to be minimal. Identical twins reared together are routinely found to be no more similar in personality than identical twin reared in separate families , some time the separated reared twins are found to be more smiliar .


Children in different families differ in personality the difference can be explained almost entirely by their genetic differences . The differences between non identical twin siblings cannot explained by their genetic differences alone ,as e.g birth order. Human behaviour that do not vary cross-culture such as smiling , walking.

Race and Ethnicity

Race denote human grouping that are biologically determined , some character of a given racial group e.g skin coluor . Ethnicity : Denote a group of individual sharing a sense of common identity , shared believes and history .

- In the modern era cultures and subcultures changes at increasing rates in response to the adaptive demandes represented by the world in increasing economic , political and social competition , this add more stresses on individual and cultural group .

Social factors influencing mental health

Environmental factors Poverty Racial discrimination Poor housing Poor health care Social changes 1.Unemployment 2. Migration 3. Urbanization


The influences of culture include
Patient illness behabviour The content of delusions and hallucinations Attitude of family and community idea regarding the recogntion and aetiology of illness . Treatment required

Culture and psychiatric diagnosis

- A particular religious belief which is acceptable in your own culture becomes labeled as delusion in another culture.- Distress due to interpersonal conflict (marital tension or parent –child conflict) might be as being due to culture .

Witchcraft as attribution content or precipitant

A person who suffers from serious accident or sever mental illness may attributed to witchcraft . A person may have become acutely anxious may believe that a rival has used witchcraft against them . A person may have experience a psychotic illness may attributed it to witchcraft . Witchcraft may provide delusions and hallucinations.

Migration and mental illness

Immigrants have a higher rates of mental illness than their population of origin or that of host country , the explanation for this are :-Selection –people migrate for solving their problem . stress –due to language , accommodation , employment , isolation and conflict .