On the Cultural Construction of Mental Disorder and Normality in Southern Malaŵi

Arne S. Steinforth
The Peter Lang Publishing Group

Every society has its own definition of a normal and an abnormal human condition. For persons living with mental disorders, these concepts have a tremendous impact. This study investigates how the abnormal mind is culturally defined in Malaŵi, South-Eastern Africa. Based on anthropological techniques such as interviews, participant observation, and archive research, it explores the different social dimensions of mental disorder – e.g. its reflection in traditional dance rituals, in behavioural rules during pregnancy, or in the healing ministry of independent...