SOCAL DISCREDITING
VIEW
Social discrediting or “stigma”, a word often used in sociology and plays a secretive but crucial role in India’s cultural background and functioning. As negativity binds this concept of “stigmatization” as it should in many various cases this essay will consume the positive side of stigmatization in India with historical and psychological references.
With the ancient Indian civilization with no recorded prevalence of both bulimia and depression have sudden spurts of both with the bold break of negative schemas associated with these mental illnesses. To put it into simpler terms this is a break of the social discrediting. India’s previous blind eye to these illnesses had pushed it into an abyss of denial and somatic pains to cover its hidden trail.
Depression has been and is still one of the most prevalent mental disorders stigmatized in India. Hagen et al in the year 2005 considered depression to have an evolutionary theory which stated that depression is the body’s way to elicit help. Research from Marsella et al whose research in the field of psychology regarding urbanization and modernization argued that modernization contributed to an increase prevalence of depression. Due to India’s collectivistic culture Indians rely on physical aspects of pain rather than mental ones. The same occurs in China and other collectivistic cultures. However, this stigmatization has aided supress the prevalence of depression in India. People have resorted to physical aspects of pain such as somatic issues.
In a culture where the 2 disorders never existed, collectivistic cultures have helped stigmatize these types of mental illnesses from prevailing within the community. Every side has its negatives and positives, while looking at it from a psychological and historical background the causes to our present issues have been revealed as such.
- Himani Shaker
COUNTERVIEW
Stigmatization or social discrediting is nothing but, extreme disapproval of a person or group on socially characteristic grounds that have distinguished them from other members of a society. Stigmatization may then be affixed to such a person, by the greater society, who differs from their cultural norms. In a place like India, where culture and belief play a major role, it becomes customary to face such a hassle in day-to-day life. It can be seen in diverse forms like in gender roles, choices, social freedom, depression, LGBT, mental disorders and so on.
Indeed, India is incredible but it also fails to give justice to the ones who fought for our freedom back in the time. People are not conscious that being different or creating a diversion in this monotonous existence is not going against the norms, but only making a better place for them to live in. There will always be a black sheep in the family and how is it that it is such an awful thing? Many people, who have been stigmatized, feel as though they are transforming from a whole person to a tainted one. They feel secluded and devalued.
This stereotype nation we exist in, has permitted the people to judge an individual on the basis of feelings, emotions, gender, disorders and what not. Associates of stigmatized social groups often face prejudice that causes depression. Stigmatization can take place anywhere, at work, in school, in the criminal justice system and even in our own families. It’s brutal, and people have adverse effects to such pressure cause by the society. Culture and beliefs are appreciated but not at the cost of someone’s self-esteem. Accepting people and not branding them, is what the public ought to believe in. It must be prohibited, while the stigmatized give the voices inside them a microphone from time to time, to set free from the judgments.
- Akshara Durand
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