| Latah in South-East Asia: The History and Ethnography of a Culture-Bound Syndrome Contributor(s): Winzeler, Robert L. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0521472199 ISBN-13: 9780521472197 Publisher: Cambridge University Press OUR PRICE: $114.00 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: February 1995 Annotation: "Latah", the Malayan hyperstartle pattern, has fascinated Western observers since the late nineteenth century and is widely regarded as a "culture-bound syndrome". Dr 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 way in which local people understand it. Arguing that latah has specific social uses, he concludes that it is not generally appropriate to regard it as an "illness" or "syndrome". |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Anthropology - Cultural & Social - Psychology | Social Psychology - Social Science | Ethnic Studies - General |
| Dewey: 155.849 |
| LCCN: 94014427 |
| Series: Publications of the Society for Psychological Anthropology |
| Physical Information: 0.68" H x 6.29" W x 9.26" (0.89 lbs) 192 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Southeast Asian - Ethnic Orientation - Asian |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: 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. |