Cultural Pathology: Clinical Diagnosis and Artistic Interventions

Summary

The term cultural pathology adds a new dimension to our understanding of social pathology, focusing on cultural dynamics and symbols guiding social behavior without stigmatizing an entire group. These dynamics and symbols involve not only norms but also mimetic diffusion and consumption patterns and the assessment of their impact on the essential wellbeing of the individual or the community. The “pathology” dimension metaphorically expresses societal “diseases” in globalized networks that challenge social solidarity and cohesion. Expressions of a cultural pathology are not easily perceived as such by cultural experts, but even less so by the agents of these actions and behaviors. Although such phenomena are now quite frequent and intense, in a globalized cultural context they are often masked by a positive and celebratory media and social networks aura, namely, as the modern way of life and a desirable lifestyle “for all of us.” In many cases, there are concomitant social phenomena and multiplying factors in contemporary social problems such as the acceleration and aggravation of existing inequalities and discrimination, negative “reinterpretation” of traditions and cultural symbols, the spread of “destructive behaviors” across social and natural environments that constitute new norms, especially for young people and new professions; driving innovation and social change in directions that further erode communities’ social and political cohesion. Finally, we examine cultural pathology regarding specific events and phenomena that are part of it, starting the analysis with reference to some examples of “clinical interventions” in favor of the natural environment.