Culture-bound syndromes: a philosophical approach.

In the past half a century, medical anthropologists and cross-cultural psychiatrists have drawn attention to the many patterns of aberrant behavior and troubling experience that do not seem to fit in with Western European and North American handbooks of psychiatry. Such patterns are often calles culture-bound syndromes (CBSs) because they are generally limited to specific (non-Western) societies or cultural areas. CBSs are indigenously considered to be (mental) illnesses, and are often treated by local folk medicine. A famous example of a culture-bound syndrome is Koro - a typically Southeast Asian affliction dominated by the fear that the penis is fatally shrinking into the body. The main aim of my research proposal is a philosophical inquiry into the nature and classification of so-called culture-bound syndromes (CBSs). Using research tools and concepts from both history of science and philosophy of science, I would like to ask questions about the nature and singularity of CBSs, the role such syndromes play in contemporary psychiatric taxonomies, and the criteria used to define them. The intention behind these three research questions is to take the discussion about CBSs as a case study to tackle a number of questions in the philosophy of psychiatry.

Keywords:Culture-bound syndromes, Mental disorders, Philosophy of psychiatry, Philosophy of science, DSM, Psychiatry