| Popis: |
In the churchyards of the Coptic churches of Ethiopia religious communities consisting of monks, nuns, students, disabled people and others who flee from society, are a common phenomenon. They are symbolic of the Ticket to Heaven to which many Ethiopians aspire. Because of its tolerance for marginal people the expectation was that psychotics, who are generally expelled from society, might find a place in such a community. A sample survey of 48 members of a religious community in Addis Abeba revealed the presence of 29 disabled people of whom six had a psychiatric illness. Two of these were psychotics. It is suggested that life in the community to some extent prevents the development of the secondary handicap of a chronic psychotic which is generally termed institutionalism. |
