Exotic Deviance is a seminal study of Western psychiatric interpretations of some of the most bizarre behaviors ever recorded. Robert Bartholomew examines behaviors so strange by modern Western standards that they are assumed to be illnesses or disorders -- latah, koro, and dance mania. Psychiatrists making these diagnoses draw heavily on Eurocentric values and assumptions. In Malaysia and Indonesia, when startled, ordinarily shy, stolid elderly Malay women will suddenly swear profusely, mimic the gestures of others, and may be induced into automatic obedience. During this latter state, victims of latah will do anything they are told: strip naked in public, slap themselves in the face, or crawl on the floor and growl like an animal. Bartholomew also looks closely at koro-genital-shrinking epidemics among men in parts of Asia who believe their penises will disappear. Women are sometimes affected, believing their breasts or vaginas are being sucked into their bodies. A third study looks at the frenzied St. Vitus's dance, which swept across medieval Europe as masses of people joined in public orgies and wild dances. Exotic Deviance examines Otherness with an emphasis on Western understanding and acceptance, explaining that these behaviors are rational outcomes of unfamiliar symbol systems and world-views and are a testament to the power of human imagination and creativity. This book will appeal to psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists and anyone interested in the diversity of human cultural practices.