Latah in South-East Asia: The History and Ethnography of a Culture-bound Syndrome (Publications of the Society for Psychological Anthropology)

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Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 301 EAN: 9780521031370 ISBN: 0521031370 Label: Cambridge University Press Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 192 Publication Date: 2008-09-15 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Studio: Cambridge University Press
Editorial Reviews: Latah, the Malayan hyperstartle pattern, has fascinated Western observers since the late nineteenth century and is widely regarded as a "culture-bound syndrome." Robert Winzeler critically reviews the literature on the subject, and presents new ethnographic information based on his own fieldwork in Malaya and Borneo. He considers the biological and psychological hypotheses that have been proposed to account for latah, and explains the ways in which local people understand it. Arguing that latah has specific social functions, he concludes that it is not appropriate to regard it as an "illness" or a "syndrome."
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: Excellent contribution to psychological anthropology Comment: Though the subject of latah, a Malayan hyperstartle pattern, is inherently interesting, Winzeler's in-depth study using both historical documentation and personal fieldwork experiences brings to the reader a sophisticated knowledge of this culture-bound syndrome. Anyone who is interested in insular Southeast Asia, medical anthropology or psychological anthropology should read this book More Reviews