Two Key Studies of the interaction of local and global influences on behaviour: Bhugra & Mastrogianni (2004); Lyons-Padilla et al. (2015) (DP IB Psychology)

Key Study One: Bhugra & Mastrogianni (2004)

Aim: To investigate the role of globalisation in an individual’s experience of depression.

Procedure: 

• The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of research studies on the topic 

• They accessed the findings of over 91 pieces of research from the 1980s through to the 2000s and then conducted statistical analysis of these findings in order to determine an effect size

• Effect size refers to the overall effect of one variable on another, in this case it was the effect of living in a globalised world on the experience of depression, from diagnosis through to treatment 

• The researchers looked for examples of the ways in which globalisation may have a negative impact on mental health and how it may contribute to the symptoms of depression and the ways in which depression is treated

• Depression is not an illness which is culture-specific: people from all cultures are vulnerable to depression although depression will not necessarily be recognised or diagnosed in the same way across cultures

Results: 

• Studies of depression from emerging economies e.g. Pakistan, Vietnam, Turkey highlighted the exacerbating effect of poor physical health, lack of opportunity, lack of food and  poverty as key contributors to depression, particularly for women (who report depression far more than men do)

• Culture-bound syndromes(CBS) were found to have suffered due to the prevalence of Western-style medical practices and diagnoses. 

• This adoption of a more universal form of diagnosis ignores long-held cultural beliefs and medical practice from specific cultural viewpoints. 

• An example of a CBS isf susto, a condition which is common in some Latin American countries and involves the idea that the spirit is separating from the body when someone is fearful

• Someone who is experiencing susto will have the symptoms of loss of appetite, sleeplessness, low mood - all of which would be interpreted as depression by a Western doctor but the spiritual element of the condition would likely either be ignored or dismissed and so the patient may ultimately not feel that their condition has been taken seriously or understood. 

• This disconnect may then translate into treatment e.g. antidepressant drug therapy, which does not address the core of the condition and which may be at odds with more traditional approaches

• Acculturative stress may be at the heart of some depressive behaviour e.g. young Indian women living in London in the late 1990s were involved in self-harm which was linked to the conflict they experienced due to a clash of their Indian culture and the culture of their adopted country (the UK)

• People from cultures which lean heavily towards the use of healers, social support and more culture-specific traditional medical methods may reject traditional practices if they feel that they are outdated and irrelevant; subsequently these people may turn to Western medicine rather than to the methods of their original culture and by doing so some cultural nuances are lost

Conclusion: Globalisation may result in the rejection of traditional treatments for depression which may have a detrimental effect on the individual as these modern methods may not suit the cultural profile of that individual.

Evaluation of Bhugra & Mastrogianni (2004)

Strengths

• In an increasingly globalised world it is essential that cultures retain their uniqueness so research such as this helps to raise awareness of what might be lost if universality becomes the norm

• The findings could be used to inform doctors and clinicians as to how to address cross-cultural differences in the diagnosis and treatment of depression and to guard against the idea that ‘one size fits all’

Limitations

• It is difficult to operationalise globalisation as a variable which means that the research has a tendency towards vagueness and generalisation of conclusions

• Some of the findings are overly simplistic e.g. the studies which identify poverty and hunger as sources of depression: living in poverty is likely to lead to depression regardless of culture and the effects of globalisation

Key terms:

Globalisation 

Culture-bound syndromes 

Acculturative stress

Is depression universal or bound by culture?

Key study 2: Lyons-Padilla et al. (2015)

Aim: To investigate the experience and attitudes of first and second generation Pakistani immigrants living in the USA.

Participants: 198 Muslims, originally from Pakistan, who were living in the USA (107 female; 78 male; 13 gender not specified; mean age=27 years). 92 of the sample were first-generation immigrants; 105 were second-generation Americans. 

Procedure: The participants were given questionnaires which measured their responses using a rating scale. The questions were on aspects of acculturation such as assimilation, separation, integration, marginalisation, discrimination and what their feelings were about radical Islamic groups.

Results: 

• The most negative aspect of acculturation was expressed by participants who experienced marginalisation, the state of feeling ‘adrift’ in a foreign country and of having lost something culturally significant

• Marginalised participants also reported experiencing more discrimination from non-Muslims

• Feelings of marginalisation were exacerbated by living in a country which increasingly has global dominance in terms of culture (known as Coca Colonisation: the globalisation of American culture)

• These findings predicted more support for radical Islamic fundamentalism and support for extremist groups

• High levels of reported separation were also linked to support for radical groups

• Integration was identified as a predictable indicator of a more settled and content attitude towards living in the USA

Conclusion: Marginalisation may result in dissatisfaction and discontent with the new culture, which could result in people turning against their adopted country if they feel that it has no cultural relevance to them. Globalisation may be a negative factor in the experience of immigrants. 

Evaluation of Lyons-Padilla et al. (2015)

Strengths

• The sample comprised both first and second-generation immigrants which meant that it provided a balance of views from people who had been born in Pakistan or who had been born in the USA which was a good way to avoid bias

• The findings have good application as they could be used to inform strategies and interventions to prevent radicalisation of marginalised groups

Limitations

• It is possible that social desirability bias may have interfered with the findings: participants may have answered in ways which boosted their self-esteem or which simply reflected their current mood (e.g. disenchanted with the new culture) and which may not have been valid long-term

• Radicalisation is a socially sensitive topic and there is the danger that assumptions could be made when viewing these findings i.e. it is possible to feel marginalised without this leading to radicalised views or extreme behaviours

Key terms:

Marginalisation 

Radicalisation 

Coca Colonisation