Latah in Java: A Theoretical Paradox

Abstract

Latah is a rather singular psychological disorder with sharply patterned symptoms and a definite and limited dis tribution, which promises, because of this very specificity, to be a crucial and revealing case for the analysis of the role of cultural and social forces in determining the form and incidence of mental malfunction.Unfortunately, in spite of the considerable attention latah has been given in the literature,1 no extensive empirical study of the disorder has yet been made.No psychiatric case-study of a single latah sufferer has ever been reported.Until such basic information has been gathered, our theories concerning latahrs etiology remain mere hunches or at best logically consistent but unverified guesses.This paper does not rectify this situation, but, on the contrary, in presenting some new data on the social and cul tural context of latah in Java, only raises new questions.These data2 concern, first, the social position of latah suf ferers, and secondly, the cultural significance of latah in Java, that is, the meaning, explicit and implicit, that latah has for the Javanese.The theoretical problems discussed are the relationship between structural social tensions and per sonal mental illness, the way in which cultural patterns may influence symptom "choice," and the conflict between socio logical, cultural and psychological explanations for the latah phenomenon.The symptoms of latah are an involuntary blurting of obscene words or phrases, compulsive imitation of the words or actions of others, and compulsive unquestioning obedience 1. Bibliographies of the primary sources on latah can be found in