Abstract
Explanatory models (EMs) are the way people explain the presence and meaning of an illness or disability and are reliant on and reflective of culturally specific values of normalcy, disability, health, and illness. EMs about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are particularly revealing because there is no known cause, and so people can explain this disability in ways more appropriate for and useful to them. This article presents caretaker EMs about children with autistic characteristics in Kerala, India. I argue that the reliance on biological, but not genetic, causal models is reflective of the state's high access to biomedical heath care. These EMs are used to deflect the stigma of 'bad blood' and reflect a nuanced relationship between stigma and biological EMs. Understanding how caretakers talk about ASD and related conditions is critical for anyone interested in engaging in crosscultural or international autism-related work.
References
Feb 1, 1978·Annals of Internal Medicine·A KleinmanB Good
Feb 5, 2004·Social Science & Medicine·Tamara C Daley
Oct 27, 2004·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·Ramanathan RaguramMitchell G Weiss
Jan 6, 2005·Schizophrenia Bulletin·Bruce G LinkPamela Y Collins
Jun 20, 2006·Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry·Michal Shaked, Yoram Bilu
Apr 28, 2007·International Review of Psychiatry·Christoph Lauber, Wulf Rössler
Aug 21, 2007·The International Journal of Social Psychiatry·Helen CharlesK S Jacob
Sep 7, 2007·Lancet·Shekhar SaxenaHarvey Whiteford
Jan 9, 2008·American Journal of Human Genetics·Maricela AlarcónDaniel H Geschwind
Aug 14, 2008·Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP·Vibha Krishnamurthy
May 5, 2010·Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology·Asha Kumar, Jeffrey S Nevid
May 25, 2010·Psychiatry Research·Nicolas RüschPatrick W Corrigan
Jul 17, 2010·Journal of Intellectual Disability Research : JIDR·S EdwardrajK S Jacob
Jul 24, 2010·Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing·Elizabeth Baltus Hebert, Christina Koulouglioti
Nov 5, 2010·Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing·Heather R Hall, J Carolyn Graff
Sep 1, 2011·Mayo Clinic Proceedings·Gregory A Poland
Apr 5, 2012·Autism Research : Official Journal of the International Society for Autism Research·Gauri DivanVikram Patel
Jun 23, 2012·Transcultural Psychiatry·Miraj U DesaiVikram Patel
Oct 18, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Garret R AndersonThomas C Südhof
Dec 15, 2012·PloS One·Vishal SaxenaIsaac Kohane
Mar 17, 2015·Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry·Jennifer C Sarrett
Apr 1, 2005·Anthropology & Medicine·Alison M Spiro
Citations
Apr 17, 2020·International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being·Monica PivettiClaudia Mancini
May 13, 2020·Child: Care, Health and Development·Shin Ying ChuChun Hong Gan
Jul 1, 2020·International Review of Psychiatry·Suravi Patra, Sujita Kumar Kar
Mar 17, 2015·Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry·Jennifer C Sarrett
May 2, 2015·Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry·M Ariel Cascio
Mar 10, 2017·Ethnicity & Health·Lucy Ellen SelmanSabi Redwood
Apr 25, 2018·Frontiers in Psychology·Kartini IliasKaren J Golden
Feb 4, 2016·Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry·Ellen BadonePeter Kien
May 21, 2016·Autism : the International Journal of Research and Practice·Michelle HeysElizabeth Pellicano
Jul 28, 2020·PloS One·Rano Zakirova-EngstrandLise Roll-Pettersson
Oct 9, 2021·Disability and Rehabilitation·Martine Dijkstra, Els Rommes