Use examples to explain the emic and etic concepts.
Emic and Etic
Emic: assumed that the meaning of behavior can only be defined from within the culture studied (cultural specific)
Etic: assumes that the underlying psychological mechanisms are subjectively experienced and are very similar cross culture (universal)
Etic approach to depression
World Health Organization (1983)
Emic approach to depression
Manson et al. (1985)
Emic: assumed that the meaning of behavior can only be defined from within the culture studied (cultural specific)
Etic: assumes that the underlying psychological mechanisms are subjectively experienced and are very similar cross culture (universal)
Etic approach to depression
World Health Organization (1983)
- investigators used a standard diagnostic scheme to investigate the symptoms of depression of 573 patients in four countries (Switzerland, Canada, Japan and Iran)
- it was found that most patients experienced several symptoms that were same in all four countries
Emic approach to depression
Manson et al. (1985)
- investigated Hopi illness (which is similar to depression), found that it has following categories relevant to depression: worry sickness, unhappiness, heartbroken, drunken-like craziness, disappointment
- Hopi participants could not identify a Hopi word that was equivalent to the term depression
- some of the characteristics identified are very similar to Western ways of looking at depression but others were entirely different