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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!!

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To: Grainne who wrote (105393)5/28/2005 10:51:49 PM
From: E  Read Replies (2) of 108807
 
I think one problem in this discussion stems from calling psychiatry a science. That's just my opinion.

Studies of psychology and brain-function in general can be conducted scientifically, but what goes on in psychiatrists' offices isn't science, except one does hope that science hovers over the writing of prescriptions.

Doesn't mean psychiatry or psychoanalysis hasn't been helpful to a lot of people, but it's surely not science; and it wasn't science, but was the subjective attitudes of shrinks as individuals and members of their subcultures that first caused homosexuality to be designated an illness. The fact that there was no evidence substantiating this assumption wasn't important to (or even noticed by!) those who made the original call until times changed.

So I would, personally, say that subjective attitudes about looking at the science, or lack of it, behind the decision to call all homosexuals "sick" (as opposed to homosexual) evolved with, were part of, were influenced by, socio-political factors.

The analogy with other forms of unscientific bias is a good one, imo.
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