Mental Illness

RUNNING HEAD : DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MENTALLY ILL INDIVIDUALSSocial dirts against mentally Ill PersonsNAME OF CLIENTNAME OF PROFESSORCOURSE NAMEDATE OF SUBMISSIONSocial Stigmas against Mentally Ill PersonsThe chosen article for this contemplated the deliver of a family with several members suffering from mental upsetnesses . It is non ridiculous that society orders labels on one-on-ones viewed as different from the norm . This is supernumeraryly so in the case of persons who atomic number 18 bedfast , nevertheless with maladys which argon untreatable or with which the general populace argon non familiar . A certain stigma emerges in fond interlockings with the mentally untoward person finding him or herself as part of the outgroup . What the general public cannot explain or conceive they generally make taboo . This is especially the case with mentally ill persons , so much more(prenominal) so when the persons last to ace familyWhenever people discriminate against separates based on incident peculiaritys which cannot be understood , much(prenominal) as a disease or a mental distemper , the mentally ill person is inevitably boxed into the limits of that single trait . For showcase , a handicapped person confined to using a wheelchair becomes defined by his in cogency to walk . The persons more or less him frankincense start changing the manner by which they relate to him or her . The handicap thus becomes a dominating characteristic of the person and he or she is defined based on that mirthful traitWith the family studied however , the members were able to overcome the labels located upon them . This was through through a rather simplistic method . every last(predicate) that the members did was to define themselves and their relatives and friends based on the characteristics they held independent of their incapacity or unwellness . The personality of to all(prenominal) one individual and most significantly the family relationship shared with the others , are what give their personal definitions a stronger foundation . Be bring on of their ability to look at and represent themselves in a light apart from their illnesses or handicaps , the people around them are able to look past these disabilities as wellThe dependent family is not al single in their hold out with and struggle against branding . All individuals suffering or diagnosed with mental disabilities undergo such difference . Baumann (2007 describes the elision pick upd by the mentally ill as one resulting from a societal discrimination . It is one wherein society disallows the mentally ill to take a place in the regular course of business in the confederacy . Such exclusion extends even to the family and close amicable network of the mentally disenable . The close contact that relations corroborate with mentally handicapped persons garners them the same treatment that the disabled moldiness up with . Such treatment is observed in Taylor s (2000 ) hire . Although more than one member of the family was disabled thus rationalizing the heightened discrimination , the stigma extended even to the members who did not suffer from both handicap or disability This theorises the effectiveness of social exclusionSeveral causes of discrimination are offered by Baumann (2007 . First of all , there is an evolutionary perspective to take into account Individuals and societies are driven to opt characteristics which go out ensure the survival of the population . The manifestations of mental disabilities reflect that a mentally disabled person is vulnerable and abandoned to unbalance in mood and behavior . Such instability shows that such traits are not optimal for the survival of the species . The charter for survival thus compels individuals to draw amodal value from individuals who do not represent good choices for copulationAnother reason for discrimination are social comparisons . There is an almost unconscious need for individuals to assess their have got worth in relation with the world . The inability of the mentally ill to largey function in society thus gives those who are fully-able the impression that they are more fortunate than the disabled . This distinction serves to draw individuals away from the company of the disabled for business that there be a transference of negative impressionsTaking into musing these causes for stigmatization , there is little wonder why the summons of change that Taylor s receptive family went through served to eradicate the discrimination direct against them . The ability of the family to divert attention away from their disabilities and back to their assets debunked the cause of evolutionary supporters . Because the family members exhibited desirable traits and did what they could to have other focus on such traits , the seeming negative qualities of their disability are pushed pass on to the background . Also , the existence of positive traits served to boost the egoism as well as the status of the family members thus inhibiting other people from looking down on them . Such riddance of looking-down actuations similarly takes away the reason for persons to avoid the mentally disabledThis sight of avoidance may opera hat be explained by a theory of social distancing . Social outer space is the distance that one man desires between himself and another in a picky social station (Baumann 2007 This is not a physical distance but rather a distance in a thought of shared identity . It is generally desired by persons that others exhibit low levels of social distance between them . A low level of social distance would entail a sense of common identity between the two individuals . This feeling of shared identity translates to a laid-backer degree self-disclosure and a greater capacity for acceptance of the other s traits . Conversely , higher(prenominal) levels of social distance are characterized by farawayness and a sense of detachment from the other Often , a high level of social distance is caused by an opaque tending regarding a part not entirely understood by the person avoiding the object situationIn cases wherein an individual is labeled one way or the other the individual becomes the subject of categorization and is lay in a box with others holding the same feared trait . Such judgment of others based on stereotypes and classes is outmoded and discouraged . The traits approach encourages the assessment of individuals based on singular traits and the individual capacity pertaining to call for traits in a given situation . When the family focuses on personal characteristics and the strength of their relationship as a social network that is precisely what they are doing . They transcend the stereotyped labels categorizing fellow members as capable or incapable and gauge one another on the basis of their ability to manage in particular situations The family acknowledges that although some of its members are disabled these members are still capable of accomplishing certain tasks . In this manner , the members are able to transcend the classification to which they have been thrust . unless , the family as a unit is able to break scanty from the stereotypical labels placed upon themBaumann (2007 ) insists that the key to undermining the system of alienation and aloofness against the mentally disabled is through a process of fosterage . It is believed that with an increased awareness of the nature and limitations of the disability , society will be better equipped to accept the mentally disabled individual . Such a process involves a bigger-scale dissemination of instruction . This may be impractical and expect-productive considering the legion(predicate) kinds of mental disabilities which individuals could be subject to and thus the loads of information which must be taught to themThe study conducted by Taylor (2000 ) presented one of the best ways to inform others about the delimitations of particular disabilities Because of the continued integration of the disabled members into the daily system of organization in the family and in their broader social network , the community was able to comprehend the ability of such individuals to perform daily tasks within the community as well . This process of integration helps others to understand that the disabilities held by each of the persons involved does not entail that they should be conflicting or unable to interact . Rather the mentally disabled are vital components of society as well and should be permitted to experience the range of activities the community has to offer1 .

What is the effect of stigmatization on the mentally ill individualThe demarcation set between the mentally ill and the mentally fit does little to alter the activities and self-esteem of the mentally fit person . However , avoidance behavior has tremendous effects on the mentally disabled individual . The situation of the mentally disabled calls for certain levels of attention and care and this they a good deal get But because of the special treatment that they are subject to , it is falsely held by others that they no longer require the born(p) levels of interaction and acceptance which , as social beings , they craveBecause of the need of interaction with other people , mentally disabled individuals become more prone to drawing into themselves . This isolation causes the mentally disabled to lack socially accepted and desired interaction skills and traits . Such a want in social skills moreover serves to reinforce the stereotypes placed by uninformed members of the society . The inability to keep up with social custom thus affirms labels of strangeness placed on the mentally disabled individualThe avoidance behavior exhibited whenever a mentally disabled person attempts to engage in social tasks and activities also serves to delimit the expression of the natural capacities held by such individuals Because they are boxed into the definition of their disability they are able to organize little else . Therefore this system of social stigmatization only serves to worsen the disabilities of the mentally ill . Even if they are diagnosed as having the capacity to participate in and contribute to social activities , the social stigma prevents them from fully realizing their potential . While it is true that special treatment is required in that the symptoms of a mental illness might be addressed , it is also true that to a certain extent mentally disabled individuals must be given the freedom to associate , as though they were mentally fit themselves , with the community around them Because of the limited nature of the bulk of mental illnesses , such capacity to associate is not insurmountable nor is it harmful for the rest of society s members2 . What are the possible government agency by which social stigmas against mental illness may be counteredIt is the responsibility of every community to look out for each one of its members and to encourage the participation of each one for the good of the community as a whole . This responsibility extends to mentally disabled members of the community as well . In to counter the negative stereotypes that people often associate with mental illness , media portrayals of the mentally ill must be regulated . The extension of programs which show mentally ill persons as fearful and strange only serve to strengthen negative biases against them . This is a large source for the diffuse fears that are engendered in most members of societyAs exhibited by Taylor in his , the most viable solution against stigma is a building up the mentally ill individual himself . By developing the inherent capacities and skills of the mentally disabled person , there is a new outlook towards society that is given . The mentally disabled may thus apply their skills and interact in a manner that is socially accepted . The sense of ensure that is offered mentally ill individuals through the exercise of their unhampered acquaintance and skills translates in their communication with others . With such first-hand information disproving unfounded fears , mentally fit members of society will have to respond by discounting passed-on stigmas . This effective change influencing the direct social network of mentally ill individuals is sufficient in that they are able to experience a natural and healthy lifestyle . It is not required that the labels society places on mentally disabled persons be changed . What is required is simply that such labels and such disabilities are kept in their proper place and not interpreted to encompass the entireness of the personhood of the individualReferencesBaumann , A . E (2007 . Stigmatization , social distance and exclusion because of mental illness : The individual with mental illness as a `stranger . International Review of Psychiatry , 19 (2 , 131-135Taylor , S . J (2000 . You re not a retard , you re yet wise . Journal of Contemporary Ethnography , 29 (1 , 58-92Social Stigma of PAGE 8 ...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com

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