Deviation from Social Norms

• This suggests that ‘abnormal’ behaviour is based upon straying away from the social norms specific to a certain culture. There are general norms, applicable to the vast majority of cultures, as well as culture-specific norms.
• WEAKNESS

  The fact that mental health diagnoses based on this definition vary so significantly between different cultures has historically led to discrimination, as a mechanism for social control.
• WEAKNESS

  This explanation also suffers from cultural relativism. This therefore suggests that the use of this definition of abnormality may lead to some discrepancies in the diagnoses of mental health disorders, between cultures.