Scientific progress and the prospects for culture-bound syndromes

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 41 (4):333-339 (2010)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

This paper aims to show that the classification by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of a distinct listing of disorders known as Culture-Bound Syndromes is misguided. I argue that the list of CBS comprises either genuine disorders that should be included within the main body of the DSM; or ersatz-disorders that serve a practical role for psychiatrists dealing with patients from certain cultures but will one day be eliminated or assimilated by bona fide DSM classifications. In support of these views I draw on claims from two key themes in the philosophy of science: the claim that all folk explanations for phenomena are thoroughly theoretical and therefore fallible; and the occurrence of theoretical elimination in the history of science. I contend that any ersatz-disorders located in the DSM that are judged to be radically false do not differ in kind from eliminated theories in the history of pre-science

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Introduction: culture-bound syndromes.Havi Carel & Rachel Cooper - 2010 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 41 (4):307-308.
Gomte and the idea of progress.Leslie Sklair - 1968 - Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 11 (1-4):321 – 331.
What is Scientific Progress? Lessons from Scientific Practice.Moti Mizrahi - 2013 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 44 (2):375-390.
The Role of Justification in the Ordinary Concept of Scientific Progress.Moti Mizrahi & Wesley Buckwalter - 2014 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 45 (1):151-166.
What is scientific progress?Alexander Bird - 2007 - Noûs 41 (1):64–89.
Progress as a demarcation criterion for the sciences.Paul M. Quay - 1974 - Philosophy of Science 41 (2):154-170.
What Scientific Progress Is Not: Against Bird’s Epistemic View.Darrell Patrick Rowbottom - 2010 - International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 24 (3):241-255.
How to teach special relativity.John S. Bell - 1976 - Progress in Scientific Culture 1.

Analytics

Added to PP
2012-03-03

Downloads
26 (#524,588)

6 months
1 (#1,042,085)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?