A news article I read called "Moon Phases Have No Link to Behavior" (Link) briefly talked about a study done to test whether the belief that the lunar phase has anything to do with one's mental health or not. The study showed that of all patients at a hospital with mental health problems in a set amount of time, their was not an increase or decrease in mental health during one of the moon's phases (baring rare coincidences).
This article is an example of how hegemony can lead to misguided information. Hegemony is the ideology that something is normal if most of the people around you are doing it.
The idea that the phase of the moon has an effect on one's mental health has no scientific backing, yet some still believe it does. Through a few people's superstitious belief in lunar phase effects, enough people were convinced through hegemony to believe the same thing that this study was needed to dispel this "popular opinion" (article). Even an idea as illogical as this can be spread just by having a high concentration of people who believe it make it seem like the norm to their neighbors.
No comments:
Post a Comment