Transcript Saints, Scholars, and Schizophrenics

Scheper-Hughes stumbled onto the topic
accidentally.
 She conducted her study in a parish in
the Dingle peninsula in Ireland.

The Dingle peninsula is
within the Gaeltacht,
the part of Ireland
where Irish is still spoken
The fieldwork was
carried out 1974-5.

Ireland was 94% Catholic.
25% of the population lived in poverty.
 Poverty was especially pronounced in
the West of Ireland.


Ireland joined the EEC in 1973.
Schizophrenia involves:
 Delusions
 Hallucinations
 Abnormal affect
 Impaired cognition.
Onset: Late adolescence.
Typical patient in the US: A married woman
Onset: Mid-twenties to late 30’s.
 Typical patient: A single male.
 Potential contributing factor: Postponed
adulthood.

Child care practices.
 Parental role in child care.
 Segregation of the sexes.
 Effects of economic decline.
 The Irish double bind.

Sexual frustration.
 Relation between child and parents.

Interpretation of projective test responses
is not standardized.
 Schizophrenia is largely seen to be
caused by organic factors.
 Correlation is not causation.
 She doesn’t settle on any one cause, but
blames a variety of cultural a social
factors.
