This article, by T.M. Luhrmann, compares and contrasts the schizophrenic behaviors of Americans affected by the mental illness, and those in India. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder where a person may hear voices in their head, and it can sometimes lead to violent or abnormal behavior. While hearing voices was common amongst the groups involved in the study, it was determined that the patients in San Mateo, CA, heard more violent voices than those in Chennai, India.
I found it interesting that the subjects in the US heard violent voices, whereas those in Chennai heard voices telling them to do chores, and sometimes sexually explicit voices. This proves the point many try to make, that Americans are violent people. Social media, entertainment, the news, and icons in America all portray an image of violence. Growing up in a violent environment could lead to more violent voices in schizophrenia sufferers.
On the other side of the spectrum, subjects in India typically experience sexually explicit voices or voices telling them to do chores. While the gender and age of the subjects are not included in the article, I believe this can be related to the Male-Dominant society in India. Woman fear the men, so therefore if they have schizophrenia. The voices they hear will cater to their fears.
The main observation they made after the study was that local culture shapes the way people with schizophrenia interpret the extra auditory inside their own minds. The author provided enough evidence to convince me to agree with their findings.
CONTENT: Luhrmann, T. M. "The Violence in Our Heads." Op-Ed. The New York Times, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/opinion/luhrmann-the-violence-in-our-heads.html?ref=contributors>.
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