Main description:

I first became acquainted with Dr. Gottlieb Guntern's work at several scientific symposia and was impressed by the way he combined originality and imagination with the proper use of careful, multidisciplinary epidemiologic approaches. Dr. Guntern has attacked some of the cardinal aspects of the consequences, in terms of health, well.being. and social function, of rapid social change in an originally isolated rural community - a phenomenon that is occurring at an accelerating rate in developing, as well as in developed, countries. This worldwide problem is approached by Dr. Guntern in a holistic manner. Health and social function are seen as integrated elements of human existence and are studied accordingly. His analysis of social events and their consequences for health and well being in a small Alpine village can serve as a paradigm for the study of the process of social change and its various consequences elsewhere. In view of the problem's importance and being impressed by the thoroughness and ingenuity of Dr. Guntern's multifaceted approach, I encouraged him to make the study available to an international readership. Dr. Guntern's book is warmly recommended not only to epidemiologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and psychiatrists, but also to all those interested in psychosocial and psychosocially induced problems in today's and tomorrow's environments. Lennard Levi, M.D.

Contents:

Conceptual Framework and the Methods of Investigation.- 1. General Introduction.- 1.1 Accelerated Social Change in Rural Areas.- 1.2 Syngenetic Approach to the Study of Saas-Fee.- 1.3 Rural Areas as a Scientific Problem.- 1.3.1 Historical Neglect.- 1.3.2 Myth of the Healthy Country Life.- 1.4 Antithesis of Rural Versus Urban Areas.- 1.5 Social Change in Rural Areas.- 1.6 Rural Areas in Crisis?.- 1.7 The Village as a Habitat of Regeneration.- 1.8 The Village as an Object of Research.- 2. Theoretical Problems of Social Change.- 2.1 Concept of Social Change.- 2.2 Definitions of Social Change.- 2.3 Theories of Social Change.- 2.3.1 Functions of a Theory of Social Change.- 2.3.2 Sufficient Conditions for a Theory of Social Change.- 2.3.3 Actual State of the Theories of Social Change.- 2.4 Factors Responsible for Social Change.- 2.4.1 Structural-Material Factors.- 2.4 2 Cultural Factors.- 2.5 Agents of Social Change.- 2.5.1 Carriers of Role.- 2.5.2 Psychological Qualities of the Role Carriers.- 2.6 Factors Retarding Social Change.- 2.7 Consequences and Manifestations of Social Change.- 2.7.1 Transformation of the Instrumental Complex.- 2.7.2 Change of Adaptive Structures.- 3. Problems of Methodology.- 3.1 From the First Field to the Formulation of an Adequate Conceptual Framework.- 3.2 Problems of Methodic Pluralism.- 3.2.1 Problems of Empiric Social Science.- 3.2.2 Psychoanalytic-Socioanalytic Approach.- 3.2.3 Approach of Historical Materialism.- 3.2.4 Ecological Approach.- 3.2.5 Cybernetic-Systemic Approach.- 3.3 Methods of Information Gathering.- 3 3.1 Direct Field Observation.- 3.3.2 Interviewing Key Persons.- 3.3.3 Interviewing the Representative Sample.- 3.3.4 Collective of Comparison and the Follow-Up Study.- Development From an Isolated Mountain Village to an International Tourist Resort: Sociological and Socio-Psychological Aspects of the Village Process.- 4. Time Before the Construction of the Road.- 4.1 The Geographic Situation.- 4.1.1. Function and Meaning of Nature and Geographic Environment.- 4.1.2 Geographic Structure of the Environment.- 4.1.3 Climate.- 4.1.4 Forests and Flora.- 4.1.5 Fauna.- 4.1.6 The Village and Its Means of Transportation and Communication.- 4.1.7 Ecological Function of the Geographic Situation.- 4.2 History of the Village.- 4.2.1 Function of a Historical Perspective.- 4.2.2 Prehistoric Times.- 4.2.3 Historical Times.- 4.3 Development of the Demographic Subsystem.- 4.3.1 Sources of Information.- 4.3.2 Ecological Control of the Demographic Subsystem.- 4.3.3 Demographic Development.- 4.4 Development of the Economic Subsystem.- 4.4.1 Determinants of Economic Development.- 4.4.2 Economic Structure of the Village.- 4.5 Development of the Political Subsystem.- 4.5.1 Function of Control Center and Authorities.- 4.5.2 Feudalism.- 4.5.3 Autonomy.- 4.5.4 Political Institutions.- 4.6 Development of the Religious Subsystem.- 4.6.1 Dependence on the Valley Church.- 4.6.2 Development Toward Autonomy.- 4.6.3 Role Pattern of the Clergyman.- 4.6.4 Faith, Superstition, and Religious Customs.- 4.7 Development of the Sociocultural Subsystem.- 4.7.1 General Function of a Sociocultural Subsystem.- 4.7.2 Agents of Socialization.- 4.7.3 Content and Rituals of Socialization.- 4.7.4 Synopsis of Sociocultural Development.- 5. Construction of the Road in 1951.- 5.1 Conditions Necessary for the Construction of the Road.- 5.1.1 Extralocal Factors.- 5.1.2 Intralocal Factors.- 5.2 Impact of Extralocal and Intralocal Factors.- 6. The Village Process After the Construction of the Road: Increasing Industrialization and Urbanization.- 6.1 Development of the Demographic Subsystem.- 6.1.1 General Demographic Development.- 6.1.2 Development of the Generative Structure.- 6.1.3 Demographic Structure in 1970.- 6.1.4 Fluctuating Population.- 6.2 Development of the Economic Subsystem.- 6.2.1 General Considerations.- 6.2.2 Transportation and Communication System.- 6.2.3 Tourist Facilities.- 6.2.4 Development of Land Prices.- 6.2.5 Development of Financial Policies.- 6.2.6 Economic Situation of Saas-Fee in 1970.- 6.2.7 Economic Situation of Individuals in 1970.- 6.2.8 Development of Tourism.- 6.2.9 Development of Occupational Patterns.- 6.2.10 Distribution of Work.- 6.3 Development of the Political Subsystem.- 6.4 Development of the Religious Subsystem.- 6.5 Development of the Sociocultural Subsystem.- 6.5.1. General Aspects.- 6.5.2 Agents of Socialization.- 6.5.3 Contents and Rituals of Socialization.- Social Change and Stress.- 7. General Stress Concepts.- 7.1 Stressors Due to Intrasystemic Contradictions.- 7.1.1 Demographic Development.- 7.1.2 Economic Development.- 7.1.3 Religious Development.- 7.1.4 Political Development.- 7.1.5 Sociocultural Development.- 7.1.6 Speed of Social Change.- 7.2 Stress.- 7.3 Stress Indicators.- 8. Social Change and Stress Indicators.- Stress Indicators Observed in 1970: Physical and Mental Health Aspects of the Village Process.- 9. Psychosomatic Disorders.- 9.1 General Questions and Problems.- 9.2 Stress and Psychosomatic Disorders: Brief Overview of the International Literature.- 9.2.1 Notion of Stress.- 9.2.2 Psychosomatic-Psychoautonomic Reactions.- 9.3. Methods of Data Collection.- 9.3.1 Symptoms.- 9.3.2 Syndromes.- 9.4 Symptoms and Working Hypotheses.- 9.4.1 Chronic Fatigue.- 9.4.2 Insomnia.- 9.4.3 Irritability.- 9.4.4 Vertigo.- 9.4.5 Headache.- 9.4.6 Palpitations of the Heart.- 9.4.7 Arthralgias.- 9.4.8 Profuse Sweating.- 9.4.9 Muscular Fasciculations.- 9.4.10 Precordialgias.- 9.4.11 Lumbalgias.- 9.4.12 Constipation.- 9.4.13 Finger Tremor.- 9.4.14 Menstrual Complaints.- 9.5 Working Hypotheses for Syndrome Distribution.- 9.5.1 Sex.- 9.5.2 Age.- 9.5.3 Marital Status.- 9.5.4 Number of Work Hours.- 9.5.5 Subjective Evaluation of the Season.- 9.5.6 Attitude Towards a Possible Economic Crisis.- 9.5.7 Vertical Social Mobility.- 9.5.8 Number of Occupations.- 9.5.9 Early Childhood Developmental Problems.- 9.5.10 Health Status.- 9.5.11 Daily Alcohol Consumption.- 9.5.12 Monthly Income.- 9.6. Discussion of Results.- 9.6.1 Stressors.- 9.6.2 Stress Indicators.- 9.7 Answers to Four Basic Questions.- 9.7.1 Variation in Frequency Distribution.- 9.7.2 Variation in Sex-Specific Distribution.- 9.7.3 Work Hours and Subjective Attitude Towards Tourism: Correspondence to Symptoms.- 9.7.4 Pathogenic or Pathoplastic Function of Social Change.- 9.8 Final Remarks.- 10. Consumption of Alcohol.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.2 Stress and the Consumption of Alcohol: Brief Overview of International Literature.- 10.2.1 Definition of an Alcoholic and of Alcoholism.- 10.2.2 Variables Correlating With Type and Quantity of Drinking.- 10.2.3 Types of Alcoholism.- 10.2.4 Consequences of Drinking and Alcoholism.- 10.2.5 Alcoholism in Rural Areas.- 10.3 Methods of Data Collection.- 10.4 Working Hypotheses About Dringing and Results.- 10.4.1 Value Patterns.- 10.4.2 Age and Value Patterns.- 10.4.3 Value Patterns and Amount.- 10.4.4 Age of Female Alcohol Consumers.- 10.4.5 Early Childhood Environment.- 10.4.6 Developmental Problems and Amount.- 10.4.7 Early Onset of Drinking and Amount.- 10.4.8 Age of Wife and Amount of Husband's Drinking.- 10.4.9 Sex.- 10.4.10 Living Conditions.- 10.4.11 Parental Social Status.- 10.4.12 Economic Change.- 10.4.13 Functional Competence.- 10.4.14 Work Conditions.- 10.4.15 Drinking Patterns.- 10.4.16 Emotional Reactions After Drunkenness.- 10.4.17 Motivations.- 10.4.18 Nonelaborated Working Hypotheses.- 10.4.19 Results of the Direct Field Observation.- 10.4.20 Interviews of the Key Persons.- 10.5 Discussion of Results.- 10.5.1 Permissive-Dysfunctional Attitude Toward Drinking.- 10.5.2 Influence of Early Childhood Environment and Socioeconomic Level.- 10.5.3 Age, Sex, and Drinking.- 10.5.4 Work Conditions and Drinking.- 10.5.5 Drinking Patterns and Function of Drinking.- 10.6 Alcoholism.- 10.6.1 Quantitative Aspects.- 10.6.2 Types of Alcoholism.- 10.7 Final Remarks.- 11. Consumption of Drugs.- 11.1 Introduction.- 11.2 International Literature.- 11.2.1 Definitions.- 11.2.2 Types of Drug Dependence.- 11.2.3 Causes of Drug Dependence.- 11.2.4 Consequences of Drug Consumption.- 11.2.5 Epidemiologic Data.- 11.2.6 Polytoxicomania.- 11.3 Methods of Data Collection.- 11.4 Working Hypotheses About Drug Consumption and Results.- 11.4.1 Age.- 11.4.2 Age and Evaluation of One's Own Drug Consumption.- 11.4.3 Sex.- 11.4.4 Sex and Evaluation of One's Own Drug Consumption.- 11.4.5 Work Time.- 11.4.6 Attitude Towards of Season.- 11.4.7 Attitude Towards the Season and Self-Evaluation of the Probands Drug Consumption.- 11.4.8 Marital Status.- 11.4.9 Occupational Roles.- 11.4.10 Type of Constitution.- 11.4.11 Family Environment.- 11.4.12 Daily Work Hours.- 11.4.13 Psychosomatic Symptoms.- 11.4.14 Attitude Towards a Possible Economic Crisis.- 11.4.15 Self-Evaluation of Health.- 11.4.16 Correlations Between Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Drug Consumption.- 11.5 Total Drug Consumption and Self-Evaluation of Drug Consumption.- 11.6 Discussion of Results.- 11.6.1 Frequency of Habitual Drug Consumption.- 11.6.2 Polytoxicomania.- 11.6.3 Variables Influencing Drug Consumption.- 11.6.4 Final Remarks.- 12. Consumption of Tobacco.- 12.1 Introduction.- 12.2 International Literature.- 12.2.1 Physiochemical and Pharmacodynamic Aspects.- 12.2.2 Health Consequences of Smoking.- 12.2.3 Variables Influencing Smoking.- 12.3 Methods of Data Collection.- 12.4 Working Hypotheses About Smoking and Results.- 12.4.1 Sex.- 12.4.2 Age.- 12.4.3 Sex and Self-Evaluation.- 12.4.4 Age and Self-Evaluation.- 12.4.5 Self-Evaluation and Amount of Cigarette Smoking.- 12.4.6 Self-Evaluation and Amount of Pipe and Cigar Smoking.- 12.4.7 Motivations.- 12.4.8 Developmental Problems.- 12.4.9 Work-Hours.- 12.4.10 Subjective Experience of the Season.- 12.4.11 Educational Background.- 12.4.12 Attitude Toward a Possible Economic Crisis.- 12.4.13 Self-Evaluation of Health.- 12.4.14 Self-Evaluation of Drug Consumption.- 12.4.15 Physical Constitution.- 12.4.16 Basic Data Concerning the Amount of Smoking.- 12.5 Discussion of Results.- 12.5.1 Consumption of Tobacco.- 12.5.2 Age.- 12.5.3 Sex.- 12.5.4 Conscious Motivations for Smoking.- 12.5.5 Habituation and Dependence.- 12.5.6 Personality.- 13. Psychiatric Disorders.- 13.1 Introduction.- 13.2 Methods of Case Finding.- 13.3 Investigators and Techniques of Investigation.- 13.4 Problems of Transcultural Diagnosis.- 13.5 Incidence and Prevalence of Mental Disorders.- 13.5.1 Problems of Definition.- 13.5.2 Rates of Morbidity.- 13.6 Influencing Socioecological Factors.- 13.6.1 Family.- 13.6.2 Society.- 13.6.3 Sex.- 13.6.4 Coexistence of Psychosomatic Disorders.- 13.6.5 Stress.- 13.6.6 Suicidality.- 13.7 Methods of Data Collection.- 13.8 Results.- 13.8.1 Distribution of First Diagnoses.- 13.8.2 Development of Rates of Incidence.- 13.8.3 Prevalence Rate in 1970.- 13.8.4 Duration of Hospitalization.- 13.9 Discussion of Results.- 13.9.1 Representativeness of My Results.- 13.9.2 Case Finding.- 13.9.3 Distribution of First Diagnoses.- 13.9.4 Sex and Mental Health Disorders.- 13.9.5 Prevalence Rate.- 13.9.6 Development of Incidence Rates.- 13.9.7 Duration of Hospitalization.- 13.9.8 Suicide.- 13.9.9 Stress and Psychiatric Morbidity.- 14. Crime.- 14.1 Introduction.- 14.2 International Literature.- 14.2.1 Definition of Delinquent Behavior.- 14.2.2 The Delinquent.- 14.2.3 Social Environment.- 14.2.4 Statistics of Crime.- 14.3 Methods of Data Collection.- 14.4 Results.- 14.5 Discussion of Results.- 15. Epilogue.- References.