Final answer:
Early ideas about the causes of disordered behavior ranged from social disorganization theory and conflict theory to the influence of the unconscious mind per Sigmund Freud's theories. Additional theories considered religious and supernatural factors, as well as societal expectations and inequalities. These ideas have shaped public policy and societal understanding of mental health and deviance.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the early days, prominent ideas about the causes of disordered behavior varied greatly. Among these were social disorganization theory and conflict theory, influenced by the works of Robert Sampson, Byron Groves, and Karl Marx, respectively. Social disorganization theory highlights that external social factors, like poverty and family disruption, can lead to high rates of crime and deviance. Conversely, conflict theory emphasizes social and economic factors as indicators of systemic inequality, with crime resulting from discrepancies in wealth and power. Additional perspectives included the influence of religious, astrological, and supernatural beliefs, the role of cleanliness, a lack of comprehensive germ theory, and the perspective from early psychology emphasizing operant conditioning.
The prominent thinker Sigmund Freud offered a different angle: the unconscious mind stores repressed memories causing inner conflict, potentially leading to disordered behavior. Moreover, historical interpretations of behavior, such as attributing escape attempts by enslaved people to 'drapetomania' or framing Victorian morality as a secular code of conduct, also exemplify the changing understanding of what constitutes disordered behavior.
Research into these theories can have significant impacts on public policy, emphasizing the need for social programs, and challenging historical misconceptions. The understanding of disordered behavior has evolved, incorporating and sometimes rejecting previous ideas, and continues to influence socio-political approaches to addressing health and deviance.