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PERCEPTIONPOWER
PERSPECTIVES
SALLY MCMANUS MSc Mental Health Leeds Metropolitan
University 2011(Supervisor : B.Penson) BSc (Hons) Social Science (Sociology
and Social Psychology) University of Bradford 1996
Care Coordinator at aspire, Leeds Early Intervention in psychosis service (3 years)
Previous diagnosis of psychosis Ex-voice hearer
VALUES Honesty, openness, straightforwardness,
clarity, individuality, respect, equality, equilibrium
Voice hearing as normal and everyday Voice hearing as amazing, serving a
purpose, not necessarily terrifying White British, female, middle class
upbringing, late 30’s, single, no dependants
Sympathetic to psychiatry and psychology
Use of Critical Psychiatry and Critical Psychology perspectives
AIMS Definitions of voices/social
constructionism Use theory to explore how voices are
constructed in West Discuss dominant discourses (psychiatry
and psychology) Power, perceptions and perspectives Ideas for practice Research potential
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO HEAR VOICES?
Discussion
VOICE HEARING Voices, sounds, music, noises External or unknown source/mind of
hearer Psychiatry: auditory
hallucination/symptom Magical, terrifying, empowering,
destructive, wonderful, annoying, incredible, hateful, personal
Continuum, normal, everyday experience
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM Beliefs developed about the world,
objects, phenomena and people That 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 ideologies
VOICE HEARING AND SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM Berger and Luckmann : voice hearing as
unnatural phenomena. Voices use language: language is socially constructed
Searle: everything socially constructed Potential for both social constructionist
perspectives to theorize voice hearing Assumption that voice hearing is socially
constructed in society
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.”
BERGER AND LUCKMANN
Object becomes apparent with different discourses around it
No ultimate truth Communication with others, and voices Omnipotence: why? Construct clashes: with whom?
DISCOURSES AND POWER Psychiatry Psychology Media Government (MHA) Religion/spiritual Dominant social constructions Multiple perspectives necessary: choice
ROMME AND ESCHER Voices as inner commentator to alert us
to problems Voices not problem Coping research Construct/Formulation
FOUCAULT Writing at a similar time to Berger and
Luckmann French philosopher/historian/sociologist Geneological approach Post-structuralist school (not soc
construct) Looks at “madness” (not voices
specifically) Looks at notions of “truth” and “power” Political/moral/cultural/time/space/place
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 upon
Ultimate truth out of reach
POWER Historical approach Foucault and social constructionism Means whereby truth constructed and
inconsequential whether factually correct
Foucault as empiricist – flawed? Medicine as dominant perspective Law as overarching controlling body
(Government)
PERSPECTIVES Medical Psychological Social Spiritual Other
MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE Us and them Language Medication Treatments in history Concept of mental illness/diagnosis Suppression of symptoms Continnuum perspective Many truths and realities around voices
PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE Problem in psychology of individual and
result of life events?
Therapy as a means of social control?
Definitions of “normality” and acceptability
SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY Voice hearing as a disability? Adaption to society (medication) Society adapting to voices hearing
experience? (acceptance) Anti-stigma campaigns
IN PRACTICE Accepting Understanding Normalising Talking about voices CBT approach/Romme and Escher
Maastricht Interview Hearing Voices groups via HVN Providing choice about how to make sense
(perspectives) Allowing people to reach own conclusions
about voices Helping people cope with voices (strategies)
RESEARCH QUESTIONS Are 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?
CONCLUSION
Voice hearing is constructed socially, within and without a complex set of power dynamics, diversely, across time, culture and space.
CONCLUSIONS Many ways of constructing voices within
society currently Psychiatry holds dominant discourse Continuum perhaps more valuable
discourse Acceptance and non-stigmatising Campaigns and research Social constructionism as refuting itself
QUESTIONS
Click icon to add picture
DISCUSSION You meet someone who tells you they
hear voices What would you say/do/ask in order to
show ACCEPTANCEUNDERSTANDINGACKNOWLEDGEMENTVALIDATION
REFERENCES Berger and Luckmann “ The Social
Construction of reality” McManus (unpublished) MSC
Dissertation Foucault INTERVOICE website/ HVN website Romme and Escher Ron Coleman
