A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONist perspective 15 TH June 2012 s allymcmanuscommlinkscouk PERCEPTION POWER PERSPECTIVES Sally McManus MSc Mental Health Leeds Metropolitan University 2011Supervisor ID: 412938
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Hearing Voices:A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONistperspective
15
TH
June 2012
s
ally.mcmanus@commlinks.co.ukSlide2
PERCEPTION
POWER
PERSPECTIVESSlide3
Sally McManus MSc Mental Health Leeds Metropolitan University 2011(Supervisor : B.Penson)BSc (Hons) Social Science (Sociology and Social Psychology) University of Bradford 1996Care Coordinator at aspire, Leeds Early Intervention in psychosis service (3 years)Previous diagnosis of psychosisEx-voice hearerSlide4
ValuesHonesty, openness, straightforwardness, clarity, individuality, respect, equality, equilibriumVoice hearing as normal and everydayVoice hearing as amazing, serving a purpose, not necessarily terrifyingWhite British, female, middle class upbringing, late 30’s, single, no dependantsSympathetic to psychiatry and psychology Use of Critical Psychiatry and Critical Psychology perspectivesSlide5
AIMSDefinitions of voices/social constructionismUse theory to explore how voices are constructed in WestDiscuss dominant discourses (psychiatry and psychology)Power, perceptions and perspectivesIdeas for practiceResearch potentialSlide6
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO HEAR VOICES?DiscussionSlide7
Voice HearingVoices, sounds, music, noisesExternal or unknown source/mind of hearerPsychiatry: auditory hallucination/symptomMagical, terrifying, empowering, destructive, wonderful, annoying, incredible, hateful, personal Continuum, normal, everyday experienceSlide8
Social ConstructionismBeliefs developed about the world, objects, phenomena and peopleThat are not defined by nature (Berger and Luckmann (1966, 1991)“Nothing is real unless we agree that it is” (Gergen and Gergen 2004)Nature has no life of its own (Searle 1995)
Creates doubt and encourages reflection on assumptions/beliefs and ideologiesSlide9
Voice hearing and social constructionismBerger and Luckmann : voice hearing as unnatural phenomena. Voices use language: language is socially constructedSearle: everything socially constructed Potential for both social constructionist perspectives to theorize voice hearingAssumption that voice hearing is socially constructed in societySlide10
Berger and Luckmann“Man is biologically predestined to construct and inhabit a world with others. This world becomes for him the dominant and definite reality. Its limits are set by nature, but, once constructed this world acts back upon nature. In the dialectic between nature and the socially constructed world the human organism is itself transformed. In this same dialectic man produces reality and thereby produces himself.”Slide11
Berger and Luckmann Object becomes apparent with different discourses around itNo ultimate truthCommunication with others, and voicesOmnipotence: why?Construct clashes: with whom?Slide12
Discourses and powerPsychiatryPsychologyMediaGovernment (MHA)Religion/spiritualDominant social constructionsMultiple perspectives necessary: choiceSlide13
Romme and EscherVoices as inner commentator to alert us to problemsVoices not problemCoping researchConstruct/FormulationSlide14
FoucaultWriting at a similar time to Berger and LuckmannFrench philosopher/historian/sociologistGeneological approachPost-structuralist school (not soc construct)
Looks at “madness” (not voices specifically)
Looks at notions of “truth” and “power”
Political/moral/cultural/time/space/placeSlide15
Perception“If illusion can appear as true as perception, perception in its turn can become the visible, unchallengeable truth of illusion.” (Foucault)Imagination, perception and reality?Voice hearer is subject where truth is sought and power overlooks and operates uponUltimate truth out of reachSlide16
PowerHistorical approachFoucault and social constructionismMeans whereby truth constructed and inconsequential whether factually correctFoucault as empiricist – flawed?Medicine as dominant perspectiveLaw as overarching controlling body (Government)Slide17
PERSPECTIVES MedicalPsychologicalSocialSpiritualOtherSlide18
Medical perspectiveUs and themLanguageMedicationTreatments in historyConcept of mental illness/diagnosisSuppression of symptomsContinnuum perspectiveMany truths and realities around voicesSlide19
PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVEProblem in psychology of individual and result of life events?Therapy as a means of social control?Definitions of “normality” and acceptabilitySlide20
Social model of disability Voice hearing as a disability?Adaption to society (medication)Society adapting to voices hearing experience? (acceptance)Anti-stigma campaignsSlide21
In practiceAcceptingUnderstandingNormalisingTalking about voicesCBT approach/Romme and Escher Maastricht InterviewHearing Voices groups via HVNProviding choice about how to make sense (perspectives)Allowing people to reach own conclusions about voices
Helping people cope with voices (strategies)Slide22
RESEARCH QUESTIONSAre relationships that people have with their voices similar to the relationships that people have with people they know?What is the relationship between voices and self esteem/low mood?Why are voices omnipotent?Slide23
ConclusionVoice hearing is constructed socially, within and without a complex set of power dynamics, diversely, across time, culture and space.Slide24
ConclusionsMany ways of constructing voices within society currentlyPsychiatry holds dominant discourseContinuum perhaps more valuable discourseAcceptance and non-stigmatisingCampaigns and researchSocial constructionism as refuting itselfSlide25
QUESTIONSSlide26
DISCUSSIONYou meet someone who tells you they hear voicesWhat would you say/do/ask in order to show ACCEPTANCEUNDERSTANDINGACKNOWLEDGEMENTVALIDATIONSlide27
REFERENCES Berger and Luckmann “ The Social Construction of reality”McManus (unpublished) MSC DissertationFoucaultINTERVOICE website/ HVN websiteRomme and EscherRon Coleman