Defining Abnormality

Definition of abnormalities All definitions of abnormalities we study are culturally unique. In other words, definitions that may be classified as normal in one culture may be classified as extreme anomalies for another culture. This cultural relativism problem limits the accuracy of definitions that define global anomalies. Due to purely cultural factors it is almost impossible to make absolute statements about the normal or abnormal behavior of human behavior.

Restrictions: The most obvious problem when defining abnormalities using social norms is the lack of a general consensus on social norms. Social norms have cultural characteristics - they may differ significantly between generations and between different races, regions and socio-economic groups. In some societies like Zulu, illusion and scream of the street is considered normal behavior. Since social norms also exist within the time frame, they change with time. Operations that were once considered to be abnormal may become acceptable after a certain period of time. For example, drunk driving was once thought to be acceptable, but now it is considered socially unacceptable, and homosexuality is another way. Until 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) regarded homosexuality as a psychological disorder, but today it is considered acceptable.

Psychologists often face the task of universally defining abnormalities. One aspect of cultural relativism is that different culture and abnormal beliefs of subculture are different. Fully acceptable behavior recognized in one cultural facility may be considered abnormal in another cultural facility. Therefore, when diagnosing abnormal situations, psychologists may never decide whether their definition technology is accurate or effective.