Rashda Tabassum and Colleagues (2000)
Learning Outcome: Using one or more examples, explain “emics” and “etics”.
Explain: Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.
Background Information:
Etics- universal behaviors
Emics- culture- specific behaviors
Structured Interview- straightforward interview and use a standard set of questions
that are asked to all the participants
Aim: To investigate whether differences exist between the emics of depression; and
to determine whether those are differences inthe Western etics which are used to
evaluate and treat depression in ethnic populations living within Western cultures.
Methods:
Emic definitions of depressive symptoms from Pakistanis living in the United
Kingdom (UK) were compared to existing predominant etic descriptions used by
western psychiatrists treating them. Women’s mental health needs were explored,
and clarified inconsistencies about the frequency of mental disorder, and attitudes
toward mental disorder. Previously Pakistanis mental health was dictated by the
domination of Western etics.
Participants consisted of first and second-generation Pakistani women, living
in a poor UK urban setting. The interviews were all conducted in family group
because males would not allow females to meet with the researchers alone. Twentytwo males born in Pakistan, twenty-nine first generation women, and twenty-three
second generation women participated.
The study’s setting was in participants’ homes in English, Urdu, Punjabi, with
a combination of two languages. Only seven families allowed the researcher to
record interviews, creating transcription difficulties; researchers took detailed
notes during the interview when recording was not allowed. Interview consisted of
twenty-one questions, which tested for perception of causes for mental disorder,
help-seeking behavior, family perception and reaction to disorder, and the
community status of people with mental disorder. Since Western symptoms did not
always directly translate and Pakistani culture had some different ways of
conceptualizing mental disorder, researchers had difficulty translating the
questions.
Results:
Data showed an emic description of mental disorder centering on model
symptoms, though they were fairly knowledgeable of Western etic mental health.
Sixty-three percent of participants viewed aggression as a main symptom of
abnormality. Pakistani culture is collectivist and emphasizes politeness in social
behavior; therefore aggressiveness is viewed s more abnormal than anxious or
depressed symptoms. However, similarly to Western cultures, they identified stress
as a primary factor of the mental disorder. Some participants used the terms
“anxiety” and “depression”, but such words in Urdu had different meanings from
Western etic descriptions. Twenty-five percent of the participants attributed mental
disorders to supernatural causes and thirty-five percent believed in faith healers.
Most males thought a general practitioner (GP) should be consulted for
treatments, while fewer females identified a GP as the first person to consult. Thus
there may be cultural barriers to women seeking help from doctors. Even though a
prevalent attitude was to cope with mental health problems, hospitalization was a
last resort.
Pakistanis may fear the stigma associated with mental disorder. The study
successfully identified barriers that women face in getting mental health
service. In addition, differences between emic and etic approaches to
understanding mental disorder were uncovered.
Strengths:
1. Structured interviews make it easier for the interviewer to evaluate and
compare.
2. Structured interviews are easier and less time consuming to analyze than
other studies in general.
Limitations:
1. Structured interviews do not yield data rich information as it limits to
participant to a structured response.
2. Structured interviews do not engage participant on a personal level and
therefore limits amount of information.
3. This study used selective sampling because of the participants’ culture. It can
be corrected through the use of random sampling adhering to culturally
sensitive standards.
4. Another limitation of this study is social desirability bias due to the fact that
the researcher was known to be a doctor possibly interfering with the
responses.
5. Western research models where individuals respond to interview questions
are not always the best way to collect data in collectivist cultures.
6. Difficult to collect data because words had different meanings in the Urdu
culture.