Stigma: An Ethnography Of Mental Illness And Hiv/aids In China

by Jinhua Guo

Overview

Based on two and a half years of fieldwork in China, this book examines the cultural genesis and social mechanisms of stigma related to mental illness and HIV/AIDS in China. It also explores the bio-politics on stigma through detailed description of social exclusion experienced by people suffering from mental illness or HIV/AIDS and by systematic comparison on stigma between the two illnesses in the Chinese context. Through the comparison, this book describes the micro socio-dynamic process of stigmatization in the local Chinese context, highlights the identity transformation accompanying the illness trajectory the patients and their families have lived through, and ultimately connects Chinese society and its community-centered social value system and institutional arrangement to the stigma associated with mental illness and HIV/AIDS.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938134807
Publisher:	World Century Publishing Corporation
Publication date:	02/19/2016
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.63(d)

Table of Contents

About the Book v

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xv

Background xvi

Global context xvi

Chinese context xvii

Research Design xx

Chapter 1 Theoretical reviews and critiques 1

Psychological and Social Psychological Models 1

Stigma studies in social history 4

Sociological perspectives 5

Anthropological views on stigma 6

The Myths of Stigma in China 8

Pre-Research Thoughts 11

Chapter 2 Ethnography of stigma associated with mental illness 15

Jian'an City, Hubei Province 16

The Psychiatric Clinic at the Third People's Hospital in Jian'an City 18

The Outpatient Clinic: Psychiatric or Psychological? 20

The Inpatient Department 22

Stigma Among the Stigmatized - She's Nuts! We Are Not 23

Stigma Within a Local Work Unit - They Avoid, Tease and Make Fun of Me 25

Stigma Within a Village - They Do Not Invite Me to Family Events Anymore 31

Stigma Within a Mental Hospital - Go Get Your Medicine; I Don't Have Time for This 45

Stigma Within the Family -You Are Feigning Illness 50

Summary 55

Chapter 3 Ethnography of stigma associated with HIV/AIDS in Beijing 57

Beijing 57

AIDS Care Center in Beijing 58

Zhanshan 59

Yang Ping 73

Shufen 81

Meimei 89

Fangfang 94

Haitian 99

Xiaobao and Huimin 104

Summary 109

Chapter 4 Ethnography of stigma associated with HIV/AIDS in Yunnan 111

Dexin, Yunnan Province 111

Dawei - You Make the Work Unit Feel Shamed 121

Shuanglong - He Is Not My Son Anymore 135

Yanping - Why Don't You Just Die? 150

Zhimei - Return My Pills; or I Am Going to Report You to the Police 154

Yali - You Have No Sense of Shame 161

Weiqiaog - We Don't Care if He Is Alive or Dead 165

Summary 169

Chapter 5 A comparative perspective 171

Stigma Associated with Mental Illness Versus HIV/AIDS 171

Tianyu - He Is a Retarded Shenjingbing 172

Comparison Located in Local Context 189

Moral Common Sense Behind Stigma in China - What Makes a Human or Person 195

Absence and Passivity: The Role of State and Governmental Institutions in Taking Care of Mentally III Persons 203

Engagement and Intervention: National Reaction to HIV/AIDS Epidemic 211

Implication of Non-Person and Non-Human: A Source of Social Insecurity 214

Qishi: The Chinese View of Discrimination 215

Chapter 6 Conclusion 221

Stigma: A Totalizing Social Phenomenon 223

Stigma: Pervasive Life Experience 223

Family: A Crucial Site for Stigma 224

Stigmatization: Practices of Local Moral Meaning 224

Non-Person: The Precondition of Stigma in the Local Context 226

Social Exclusion and Social Insecurity: Implication of Being a Non-Person 227

Stigma: A Dynamic Social Process 227

Implications of This Research 229

References 233

Index 239