NCJ Number
126638
Journal
Response to the Victimization of Women and Children Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: (1989) Pages: 21-23
Date Published
1989
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Interviews with Indian and Nepali government officials, academicians, human services personnel, volunteers, and business people of both sexes in 1988 formed the basis of this discussion of cultural attitudes and actions toward women in India and Nepal and comparisons of those attitudes with those in the United States.
Abstract
The interviews revealed that women's abnormal behavior is described differently in India, Nepal, and the United States. Women in India and Nepal are often given the diagnosis of hysteria, which is no longer considered a mental illness in the United States. Professionals in India believe that women use hysteria to receive attention from their families and professionals and to take time off from homemaking and job duties. Similarly, anorexia may be a way of coping in the United States, but rarely is diagnosed in India and Nepal. Another trend noted by Indians is the declining proportion of women in the population, probably because of dowry deaths. The social and cultural values that allow dowry deaths, repress reporting of incidents, and make successful prosecution difficult suggest that similar values may contribute to the wife abuse in the United States. Thus, perspectives gained from observing other cultures may contribute to understanding of issues in our own society. 12 references