Being mentally ill : a sociological theory / Thomas J. Scheff.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Scheff, Thomas J.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mental illness--Etiology--Social aspects.

Mental illness.

Social role.

Mental illness--Etiology.

Physical Description:

xiv, 220 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

Third edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Aldine de Gruyter, 1999.

Contents:

1 Biological Psychiatry and Labeling Theory 3

Effectiveness of Psychoactive Drugs 6

Placebo Reactions 7

Are Psychoactive Drugs Safe? 8

Challenging the Rule of Biopsychiatry 10

The Emotional/Relational World 13

Gove's Critique of the Labeling Theory of Mental Illness 15

2 Individual and Social Systems in Deviance 17

Part II Theory

3 Social Control as a System 31

Areas of Social Control 40

The Societal Reaction to Deviance 45

4 Residual Deviance 53

The Origins of Residual Rule-Breaking 58

Prevalence 63

The Duration and Consequences of Residual Rule-Breaking 65

5 The Social Institution of Insanity 69

Individual and Interpersonal Systems in Role-Playing 70

Learning and Maintaining Role Imagery 74

Normalization and Labeling 84

Acceptance of the Deviant Role 86

A Note on Feedback in Deviance-Amplifying Systems 94

Part III The Power of the Psychiatrist

6 Decisions in Medicine 101

Type 1 and Type 2 Errors 103

Decision Rules in Medicine 104

Basic Assumptions 106

The "Sick Role" 108

Implications for Research 110

7 Negotiating Reality: Notes on Power in the Assessment of Responsibility 115

The Process of Negotiation 120

A Contrasting Case 123

Discussion 126

Conclusion: Negotiation in Social Science Research 130

Part IV The Emotional/Relational World

8 A Psychiatric Interview: Alienation between Patient and Psychiatrist 135

Social Action and Natural Language 136

Example of Interaction Ritual: The Opening Exchange in a Conversation 139

Embarrassment and Anger: The Feeling Trap of Shame-Rage 141

Interpretation and Context 145

Implicature, Context, and Social Structure 152

9 Labeling in the Family: Hidden Shame and Anger 157

Pride, Shame, and the Social Bond 159

A New Labeling Theory 161

Labeling in the Family: A Case Study (Based on Scheff 1989) 161

Labeling by Psychiatrists 171

Symptom, Context, and Meaning 177

Typification in Diagnosis 182

Mental Illness and Social Status 188

Implications of the Emotional/Relational World for Treatment and Research 197.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 203-211) and index.

ISBN:

0202305864

0202305872

OCLC:

42296706