How does the Cornelia Rau situation highlight identity and w
This essay will examine articles written by Professor Mark Dadds, "Letter: Madness is expected of detainees" The Australian, 16th February 2005. 43 and Amanda Hodge "Bewildering trail of all who failed Cornelia" The Weekend Australian 12th- 13th February 2002. 2. I will compare the differences between the two articles and how they highlight the case of Cornelia Rau, a woman with a mental illness who ended up at Baxter Detention Centre. The main argument Professor Mark Dadds asks in his article is how do we define mental illness and how is it different in different settings is such as a Psychiatric institution and a Detention centre. He wrote about a trial done by Rosenhan in 1973 where sane people were placed secretly into institutions and how they were treated and diagnosed of certain mental problems. Professor Dadds compared this trial with the treatment of detainees who a suffering from undiagnosed mental illness. If certain behaviours were shown both in an institution and in a detention centre one would be classed as a mental illness and the other just behavioural problems (trouble makers). In the article Professor Dadds states: Psychiatry has come along way since 1973 and it is unlikely that such clinical sloppi
Cornelia Rau was influenced by being institutionalised; the lack of medication also had a big influence on her mental state, thus changing her identity. Rau was failed by authorities and her family. In my own opinion our identity is who we are and our belief of whom we are. The article also notes how a British man, Eric Upton who was in an adjoining cell to Cornelia Rau known at that time as Anna Schmidt said it was clear she was disturbed. It would have been difficult for the Queensland Police to identify her if, as it has been argued she claimed she was Anna Brotmeyer, a German tourist who only spoke German, but no papers to prove her identity, her behaviour was said to be erratic but this wasn't assessed, she placed in prison as an illegal immigrant. What are the influences of identity and how can they change? When looking at identity we must look how governments, institutions and even families can influence the identity of a person. Professor Dadds compares this trial with the treatment of Cornelia Rau and her treatment while incarcerated at Baxter Detention Centre where she was classed as having behavioural problems and her mental illness ignored. Ms Hodge questions authorities on how Cornelia Rau was failed by so may people? There is an inquiry into the situation but will we get any true answers out of this inquiry? We see in this article how Cornelia Rau identity changes her due to her mental illness. However Rosenhan's principle still applies; the labels that are given to people influence the way we thereafter see them (Dadds Mark R, "Letter: Madness is expected of detainees" The Australian, 16th February 2005. By sending Cornelia Rau from one institution to another, either ignoring or missing her mental illness she went further into a psychotic state thus altering her identity. By placing Cornelia in isolation only made her metal illness worse. Her mental illness had an influence on her identity. ness could occur on such a generalised scale. Cornelia Rau is now being cared for at Glenside Hospital, Adelaide.
Common topics in this essay:
Cornelia Rau,
Professor Dadds,
Letter Madness,
Australian February,
Mark Dadds,
Detention Centre,
Brotmeyer German,
Anna Schmidt,
Dadds Psychiatry,
cornelia rau,
Weekend Australian,
mental illness,
detention centre,
professor dadds,
baxter detention,
baxter detention centre,
detainees australian 16th,
detainees australian,
february 2005,
australian 16th,
amanda hodge,
weekend australian,
australian 16th february,
expected detainees australian,
16th february 2005,
|
Acceptance Essays
