ANT 002 Final

What do medical anthropologists study?

they draw upon sociocultural anthropology as well as critical study of medical knowledge and system to better understand the factors that influence health and well being, and the experience and treatment of illness.

What are their focus and basic premises?

It is particularly interested in different healing processes and pluralistic therapeutic models one basic premise for medical and psychological anthropologists is that illness categories are never universal, fixed or self-evident; rather they are culturally constituted and fluid in their meanings.

How do they view the relationship between culture, biomedicine, and other healing systems?

- culture plays a crucial role in how various kinds of mental illness are recognized, understood, and treated, and how the therapeutic process is shaped

- Arthur Kleinman argues that depression itself is a cultural category rather than universal disease, because its experienced, recognized and makes people feel very diff in a cultural and social context

- Healthcare systems and healing methods actually vary from society to society in the world. In North America and Europe, biomedicine tends to be the dominant form of medical diagnosis and treatment. Other healing approaches are seen as alternative methods

- In other parts of the world, they often co-exist with multiple healing systems. People's approach to them is synthetic

According to Fadiman, what are the major cultural differences/conflicts in understanding and treating Lia's epilepsy?

- language/communication

- Ways of life

- Belief system

language/communication

- The lees spoke very little English and for a majority of the time Lia was getting treated they were given very little access to interpreters

- since the doctors had a very hard time communicating with Lia's parents, they got so much frustration and it led to little trust in how effective her parents would be at helping her and giving her the right medicine

- the parents really didn't have a full understanding of what Lia had and they felt they couldn't communicate what they wanted to with the doctors, they constantly felt confused and not fully heard

ways of life

- coming from Hmong, the Lee family valued family as well as community based and spiritual healing, the doctors expected the Lee's to stick to a strict schedule of taking care of lia

- it was really hard for the doctors to grasp why the Lee's were not following plans and they were so frustrated

- The lee's did not want certain procedures done without shamans

belief system

- the lees believed that Lia's epilepsy was caused by her sister slamming the door and her spirit leaving her body, therefore due to spiritual cause and they wanted to bring in their own spiritual healing to help Lia

- the doctors viewed Lias issue as epilepsy, a nuerological disorder and they were pushing towards healing Lia with medicine

Is a middle way or a compromised approach possible in your view? Why or why not?

- I feel like there is a way to reach a middle ground it was just done very poorly in this case, more interpreters should be implemented into these hospitals especially in communities with a high population of Hmong.

- there should be opportunities for shamans and their own beliefs should get room but also having a good interpreter will help ensure that parents are in fact giving their kids the medications recommended by doctors

- doctors should take time to understand why families are uncomfortable with certain ways of medicine and how they can better fit a treatment plan that fits their cultural values

How is unequal power relationship articulated in Lia's medical journey? (Discuss three examples from the book)

1. Governmental and legal forces

- lia was taken away by CPS

- The Lee family was seen as bad parents because the parents were seen to jeopardize their lias life, but instead the traumatic act of lia being taken away from her family probably made her worse

- Government agencies had the power to decide what was best for Lia, even though her parents loved and cared for her. The decision to remove Lia showed how American authorities had more power than the family in determining her care.

2. Institutional power

- the hospital ad doctors both had institutional power

- they somewhat disregarded Lias families understanding of the disease and instead only pushed their way of curing her instead of letting Lias - western medicine

3. Language, education, and socioeconomic differences

- The Lee family had limited English skills and little formal education.

- They often did not fully understand the doctors' instructions, while the doctors did not fully understand Hmong culture.

- Because the doctors were educated professionals and the Lees were poor immigrants with limited English, the doctors had much more power in medical decisions. This imbalance made communication difficult and contributed to misunderstandings about Lia's treatment.

What important lessons have you learned from Fadiman's book?

One important lesson I learned from Fadiman's book is that culture can sometimes be disregarded when one group believes its way is superior. Throughout Lia's medical journey, the doctors focused on Western medicine and often struggled to understand the Lee family's cultural beliefs about illness and healing. The book showed me that there is not always one correct way of understanding health and medicine. I also learned how important communication and cultural understanding are. Instead of assuming someone is wrong, it is important to understand why they think the way they do and what values shape their beliefs. By respecting different cultural perspectives and working toward a middle ground, people can build trust and provide better care. If the doctors and Lia's family had been able to communicate and understand each other more effectively, some of the conflicts in her treatment may have been avoided.

Why did the Hmong flee Laos?

the hmong would rather flee than work under someone else's power. when the communist government began to take over Hmong, they were scared of losing their ways of life but also of persecution. Since they supported the US during the war, their new government saw them as enemies so they were faced with violence and surveliience and restrictions on their culture.

After arriving in the U.S. as refugees, what kinds of help and obstacles did the Hmong encounter?

Help they received:

The Hmong were allowed to stay in refugee camps in Thailand while other countries arranged permanent resettlement.

Many Hmong were eventually admitted to the United States through refugee resettlement programs. The book notes that about 25,000 Hmong were admitted in 1980 alone.

Obstacles they faced:

Life in the refugee camp at Ban Vinai was difficult because it was overcrowded and had problems such as poor health, unemployment, welfare dependency, and loneliness.

Many aid workers viewed the Hmong as "difficult," "dirty," or "backward," showing the prejudice they faced.

Many Hmong were afraid of moving to America because they worried about losing their culture, becoming dependent on welfare, never farming again, and not being able to practice traditional customs and funeral rituals.

Older Hmong especially feared that life in America would weaken family traditions and respect for elders.

What is globalization and what is localization?

globalization:

A complex and uneven process in which local and national capital, labor, technology, media and ideas become more and more interconnected and integrated into a large framework of production, finance and trade beyond national borders. Changes at one place can often generate far-reaching ripple effects in many other regions throughout the world

localization:

Global social and economic forces are articulated through different and specific local forms. A global sign and practice may entail very different meanings in different cultural contexts.

- Globalization is often time accompanied by localization

- This means global ideas products and practices are adopted differently in different locations

- Certain adaptation and indigenization in different places as things are introduced according to cultural tradition

Give two brief examples of increased global interconnections.

ex 1:

Mcdonalds in Asia

- Book called golden arch east talking about localization process of mcdonalds

- In many Asian countries it adjusts its menu to match local taste and preferences

- In places where beef is less culturally preferred, the company may offer more chicken, fish and lamb options

- In India, the menus are adapted to respect dietary traditions like absence of beef in many locations

- Beyond food changes, the meaning of mcdonalds changes from place to place

- Its more than consuming fast food but ones association with modernity

- Families may use as comfortable place for birthday parties

Meaning changes from place to place

ex 2:

Chanel perfume in China

Chanel tries to use colors to align with chinas ideas of success and beauty

Discuss at least three factors that have contributed to the formation of a global economy.

Modern communication and technological developments

- Air travel, internet, digital tech, telecommunication

Transitional corporations that operate in multiple nation-states have brought standardized production and management to different places

- They bring management styles and production to diff parts of the world

The collapse of communism in former socialist countries and their entry into the capitalist system

- The fall of the berlin wall

- Marked end of cold war

- Fall of communism

- Bright eastern europe to world market

- Brought one of largest countries into global economy

Based on the film The True Cost, what are the benefits and costs of a global economy?

One benefit is that companies can produce goods more cheaply, which allows consumers to buy clothing and other products at lower prices. It also creates jobs in developing countries and connects people and businesses around the world.

a con is that In order to keep prices low, many workers face poor working conditions, low wages, and unsafe factories. The film also shows how fast fashion can harm the environment through pollution and waste. While consumers benefit from inexpensive products, the workers and communities involved in production often bear the negative consequences.

According to Ajun Appadurai, what are the five dimensions of global cultural flow

today? Explain each briefly.

- Ethnoscapes

- Technoscapes

- Finances

- Mediascapes

- Ideascapes

Ethnoscapes

increasing presence of mobile people/moving groups in the shifting world (tourists, immigrants, refugees, guestworkers)

example of ethnoscapes

me moving to college and meeting international students and just students in general from other places

Technoscapes

technology of all kind moves at higher speeds across various kinds of boundaries (national, regional, political, ethnic)

example of technoscapes

coltan is mined in the domican republic of Congo and then used worldwide

Finances

currency markets and stock markets connect deeply across space and move megamonies at fast speed

example of finances

certain companies such as one in the US that invests money in factories in Vietnam

mediascapes

the production and dissemination of information and images have expanded and speeded up. The lines between the real and fictional are sometimes blurred.

example of mediascapes

Seeing fashion or makeup trends on social media like tik Tok or instagram that are from another country

Ideascapes

political ideologies of states and counter-idealogies of movements proliferate in various forms shift their focus

example of ideascapes

when their is a movement for envionrmental activism that spreads across many places or cultures

What are global cities?

Global cities are a special kind of central place where immense and intense concentrations of economic and financial power are located. They are also centers of international finance and business that command a global economy

characteristics of global cities

- A global city has intense global economic activity - site for financial transactions, corporate decision making, serve as strategic places where global economy is managed

- Growing inequality between global cities and rest of the world - compare with less connected cities by having a big gap, smaller cities are excluded from a lot of global economic decision making

- Growing internal inequality within global cities - strong divide between highly developed financial districts and poor neighborhoods with fewer economic opportunities, striking contrast between rich and poor

- Primarily oriented towards global market rather than national economy - may operate with certain degree of independence, they have more control of its economy because its oriented towards global economy

What does James Ferguson mean by global disconnect and abjection? Use Zambia's Copperbelt region as an example in your discussion.

Abjection is the process in which some countries are being discarded or expelled from the global economy even though they provide important materials to the global economy. Ferguson studied Zambias cobberbelt region which is a major source of copper. copper is used for all the world technology. Although Zambia is contributing copper to global economy, many people in Zambia face extreme economic hardship and cannot afford technology. Zambia experiences global disconnect meaning it faced into the background and is given very little attention. His whole concept is how connections often come at the expense of poverty in other regions, "uneven process, uneven outcome".

What are the particular circumstances why "knowledge from the South" is relevant for climate policy generation? (Cristobal's presentation)

Knowledge from the south is important because most climate data comes from the northern hemisphere which creates gaps in our overall understanding of southern hemisphere environments even though in his example, Chile which is in the southern hemisphere, holds more than 80% of glaciers. Christophers research in chilean Patagonia shows how scientists use information from glaciers to understand water stress related to climate change and this knowledge helps fill in missing information creating overall more knowledge on global climate and climate change.

What is the "reimbursable patient" and what were some of the conditions for its creation?

the reimbursable patient is one that is one that's information is being taken from an electronic medical record

Conditions that led to its creation

The rise of Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

Medical records became digital databases rather than simple clinical notes.

Patient information became organized around billing codes and standardized categories.

The HITECH Act of 2009

The federal government incentivized EHR adoption.

It required the use of problem lists and ICD coding for billing and reimbursement.

The influence of Medicare and Medicaid

Because Medicare and Medicaid are the largest insurers in the U.S., EHR systems developed around their requirements.

Healthcare technology companies designed systems that prioritize billing and reimbursement needs.

Discuss the difference between an "embodied patient" and a "reimbursable patient,"

an embodied patient is one that is in a hospital or clinic and a reimbursable one is one that's information is coming from an electronic medical record. Anna argues that as EHRs have become centered around billing requirements, doctors increasingly interact with and make decisions based on the reimbursable patient rather than the embodied patient. As a result, the information contained in billing codes can shape how doctors understand and diagnose patients

why does the latter pose a problem for healthcare in the US?

- The reimbursable patient poses a problem for healthcare in the United States because a new doctor that sees a patient will look at their electronic chart and just put them into a box and treat them based on the assumptions they make based on the chart.

- doctors usually don't type down all of their notes until the day is over meaning they can definitely miss important information

How does the symbolic meaning of tea in Taiwan influence its political landscape?

Tea art is used to express ones cultural identity, national belonging and their hostorical memory. tea culture became associated with preserving traditional Chinese culture in Taiwan and has become a way for Taiwan-chinese relations to be understood and negotiated. Tea is more than a beverage but a story of how china and Taiwan split Into separate regions and geopolitical struggles regarding to identity and nationhood

What does Tea Art say about the human capacity to be affected by taste?

During tea art, individuals are not only judged by the taste of the tea but also in their level of politeness. Tea Art demonstrates how people's experiences of taste can become an arena of geopolitics, where tea is used to negotiate cultural identity and Taiwan-China relations

In what sense does Li Zhang argue that China is an anxious society today?

Li Zhang argues that China is an anxious society because many people experience stress, uncertainty, and emotional distress despite the country's rapid economic growth and rising living standards. While many urban middle-class people have gained wealth, apartments, and other material benefits, many still feel unfulfilled, restless, and unhappy.

What are the main triggers of anxiety among Chinese people?

Widening income inequality

- People are afraid of falling behind

Rising house costs

- Prices too high for many middle class families

- Ties to pressure of getting married

- Its very hard for a man to propose if he does not own a house

Educational pressure

- Everything is about exams

- If you dont get good scores you wont get into good university and then you wont get good future

- Placed enormous pressure on students and young children

Job insecurity and fierce workplace competition'food safety concern

Environmental degradation

Social injustice

Weakening family bonds and social ties

Pandemic trauma

What does the notion bentuhua mean?

• It is not a simple translation but a complex,

dialogic process, during which Chinese

practitioners select, re-work, and make sense

of different strands of therapeutic practices.

- Psychotherapy originates in west, when it comes to any given society, it has to meet the local conditions and cultural expectations otherwise its very hard for people to understand or get used to it

• Chinese therapists selectively embrace and

rework three models--the Satir family therapy,

cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and

Jungian inspired sandplay therapy.

Give three examples for how some Chinese therapists engage in culturing global psychotherapy to fit the Chinese condition and cultural expectations.

Bringing family members into therapy instead of focusing only on the individual. Chinese therapists adapt psychotherapy to fit the idea that the self is socially embedded and closely tied to family relationships.

Reworking CBT through the familiar framework of socialist "thought work." Rather than presenting CBT as a completely foreign Western practice, therapists connect it to existing Chinese traditions of guiding and changing people's thinking and behavior.

Using psychotherapy beyond the clinic in workplaces, schools, the military, and state organizations.Therapists adapt psychological techniques to Chinese social institutions, where psychotherapy is used to create resilient workers, students, soldiers, and citizens.

Explain the basic principles of the Satir family therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and sandplay therapy respectively.

1. Satir Farmily therapy

- Situate what appear to be the individuals problems into the larger family system

- Rather than isolating an individual's issues they bring in the family

- In practice it is not easy to secure family participation due to time pressure, financial limits, and gendered understanding of parental responsibilities and emotional care

2. cognitive behavioral therapy

- The gist of CBT is to use psycho-social intervention to help clients develop better coping strategies by modifying their dysfunctional thinking and behavior patterns

3. sandplay therapy

- A therapeutic method in which "the client is given the possibility, by means of figures and the arrangement of the sand in the area bounded by the sandbox, to set up a world corresponding to his or her inner state" (Kalff 1991)

a. Different figures can trigger different emotions

- Free, creative play and a visible three-dimensional form

Discuss why these therapeutic models/branches are preferred by Chinese psychotherapists and how each model is connected to certain elements of Chinese cultural practices.

1. Satir family therapy

- This makes sense to a lot of Chinese clients and consumers because there is a strong preference for family therapy because in china the "self" is largely imbedded in the "social self"

2. CBT

- aligns very well with longstanding practice of socialist "thought work"

a. an attempt to alter the way people think about themselves and relationship to party state

b. thought work was used in socialist china to alter ones thoughts regarding their relationship to the party state

c. Started as more of a political ideological practice like at work place

d. Political study sessions during work to attempt to change people's way of thinking

- Traveled to more organizations as more face to face conversation

- People pull someone aside at school or in families or anywhere

- Both CBT and thought work rely on skills of listening and persuasion

3. sandplay therapy

- Deeply influenced by ancient chinese culture and philosophy

a. Sandplay therapy is deeply influenced by ancient Chinese culture and philosophy because it emphasizes harmony, balance, self-reflection, and symbolic expression, which fit well with traditional Chinese ways of understanding the self and healing.

Rather than relying solely on Western "talk therapy," sandplay uses non-verbal miniatures and spatial arrangements. This aligns with ancient Chinese artistic and spiritual traditions (such as calligraphy, poetry, and mandala-like creation) that use symbolic imagery to heal the mind and balance Qi. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

What is "therapeutic governing?"

Psychiatric and psychological interventions are used by both state and non-state authorities to shape, regulate, and manage the conduct of individuals and social groups in subtle ways

Why do various Chinese organizations (i.e. military, police, and state-owned firms) adopt "therapeutic governing" today?

- Integrate into police and military etc to create for resilient subjects who can sustain more trauma and difficult work

- Also used to create happier workers who are more efficient

What are the pros and cons in using this new style of management by providing two concrete examples from the book?

1. Corporate psychotherapy workshops

Companies bring in therapists to teach workers how to be happier, more resilient, and better able to handle stress.

- Pro: Workers may gain coping skills, emotional support, and improved mental well-being.

- Con: Instead of addressing structural problems such as long hours, workplace pressure, or economic insecurity, the responsibility is shifted onto workers to manage their own emotions. Therapy can become a way to make employees adapt to difficult conditions rather than change those conditions.

2. National counselor certification program

The Chinese government created a certification program that trained large numbers of people in psychological counseling.

- Pro: It reduced stigma around mental health, increased access to psychological knowledge, and helped people support themselves and their families.

- Con: It encouraged people to view social problems through a psychological lens, focusing on individual emotions and self-improvement rather than broader issues such as inequality, housing costs, educational pressure, or job insecurity. This can shift attention away from the social causes of distress

What is a "therapeutic self"?

- A mode of self created with the aid of psychotherapeutic engagements (through private counseling, group training, or self-help)

- Foucault's notion of "technologies of the self" - practices that seek to transform ones self through a number of operations on their own bodies, thoughts, and conduct

a. Not fixed but always in conversation throughout the world around you

- Socially embedded self - not individualistic or detached but connected with family, work and social nexus. Duties and obligations

Why do many middle-class Chinese embrace this new wave

of self-development and self-exploration?

- Li Zhang argues that many middle-class Chinese embrace self-development and self-exploration because they are looking for happiness, fulfillment, and a better understanding of themselves. Even though many have gained wealth and stable careers, they often still feel anxious, stressed, and unsatisfied. Psychotherapy and self-growth programs give them tools to reflect on their emotions, improve relationships, and work toward what they see as a better life. Zhang argues that this "self-work" has become an important way for people to cope with the pressures of contemporary Chinese society.

- Main ideas to remember:

Material success ≠ happiness

Looking for fulfillment and meaning

Self-growth and self-actualization

Improve emotions and relationships

Cope with pressures of modern Chinese society

"Self-work" becomes important

Discuss the changing relationship between the self and the broader social nexus over time in Chinese society.

According to Li Zhang, the relationship between the self and the broader social nexus in China has changed significantly over time. In the socialist era, people were encouraged to think of themselves primarily as part of a collective, with strong obligations to family, community, and the nation. In contemporary China, psychotherapy and self-development have encouraged people to pay more attention to their emotions, personal growth, and individual well-being. However, Zhang argues that the self is still deeply connected to social relationships. Rather than completely separating from society, people engage in what she calls "disentangling" and "re-embedding," where they reflect on themselves and then use that self-understanding to improve their relationships with family, friends, and the broader social world.

According to James Smith, how is our cell phone connected to the extractive economy in the digital age and why is this extractive economy problematic

Colton holds an element tat is used for our cell phones to work, it holds the electrical charges and all modern devices rely on it. the DRC holds a majority of the worlds Colton which means a lot of artisanal miners mine for coltan in the DRC and over 10 million people rely on the money made by mining for coltan. this means our phones connect us to distant mining regions even though we don't relize it. that being said mining workers face dangerous conditions to get these essential minerals but their work is invisible and not really talked about with us. mining supports digital global economy but also creates poverty, environmental damage and bad living and working conditions for the miners.