Asked by Rebecca Court on Feb 29, 2024
Verified
A nineteenth century physician's diagnosis of drapetomania, which purported to explain why slaves sought freedom, exemplifies:
A) the recognition of the intolerable conditions of slavery and the need to escape those conditions.
B) how notions of mental disorder can serve the interests of those who are in power by putting a veneer of science on a subjective process.
C) how great suffering elicits the "fight-or-flight" response, which is a normal human reaction.
D) recognition of panic disorder as far back as the early years of the nineteenth century.
Drapetomania
A debunked and racist 19th-century hypothesis that suggested enslaved Africans who fled captivity were suffering from a mental illness.
Mental Disorder
A condition characterized by disturbances in a person's thought, feeling, or behavior, leading to distress or impaired functioning.
Fight-Or-Flight
A physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival.
- Understand the impact of cultural and societal influences on the perception and diagnosis of mental disorders.
Verified Answer
SM
Simran MadanFeb 29, 2024
Final Answer :
B
Explanation :
Drapetomania was a supposed mental disorder that explained why slaves sought to escape from their masters, and it was used by white slave-owners to promote the idea that black people were naturally inferior and required guidance and control. This diagnosis demonstrates how notions of mental disorder can serve the interests of those who are in power by putting a veneer of science on a subjective process.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the impact of cultural and societal influences on the perception and diagnosis of mental disorders.