The modernization of tradition: Thinking about madness in Patna, India

Thirty-nine educated middle-class residents of Patna, India, were interview ed about a vignette describing the behaviour of a seemingly mad man or woma n. The interview explored their representations of traditional healing meth ods and of modern psychiatric notions. Besides explanations for mental illn ess and madness, the interviews also covered the reaction of families and n eighbours to such phenomena. Respondents thought of different causes depend ing on the context, ranging from frustrated desires, shock and heredity to spirit possession. The majority's spontaneous preference for modern psychia tric treatment often co-exists with a faith in traditional healing. This fa ith is strengthened by their family's traditional preference. The results a re discussed as an example of a process of modernization of common sense in which popularized scientific notions become anchored in the traditional se tting of social structure and family life. The newly acquired knowledge for ms a loosely organized social representation confronting a strongly objecti fied cultural representation of traditional thinking.