What i find most interesting about my topic is the lack of consideration and research done in the mainstream public health system and culturally appropriate ways of dealing with the subject of organ donation/ transplantation in Maoridom. Many assumptions and stereotypes were evident which really made me question the whole biomedical system of healing and it's symbolic functions.
Following a previous paper looking at biomedicine versus Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and other alternative medicines as well as a paper on ritual and beliefs sparked my sociological brain off again on another tangent.
I explored the idea of the mechanization of the biomedical domain and organ transplant as 'rite of passage'. In fact patients have reported the whole experience as feeling 'born again' or 'reborn'.
The mechanical setting of the hospital, the ritual of patients dressing in deindividualized clothing/ gowns, cleansing rituals, vital signs being taken to a death-like state. This really hits home the ritualistic function of organ transplants in biomedicine and it's domination/ power over alternative healing systems.
It seems so impersonal. Which is where the sanitized aspect comes into play and which is probably why i was so shocked by the lack of cultural awareness in many of the readings i found.
In many ways the biomedical model views the body as an organic system of replaceable parts a bit like a car. Maori worldview is in complete opposite to this view and once i started to delve into it there is so much more to learn and experience in regard to tapu aspects and how the Maori health and well being framework is so at variance with the World health organisations conception of health and well being. No wonder so many Maori have had negative experiences in the healthcare system?
I could go on and on but maybe i will leave that for another day...
4 comments:
Hi Jess
I had heard about recipients expressing being ‘reborn’ and I found that extremely interesting. I often wondered whether it was because they received someone else’s organ and it was somehow ‘different’, though I resigned myself to the fact that they are so sick, by the time they get a new organ…it makes them feel healthy.
I really love the way you think. I’m assuming it’s because you have so much experience in what you write about but I believe it’s more about your passion for the subject.
My blog today was very much black and white that I agree with organ donation euthanasia but after reading yours I realise that I had failed to see it from a cultural perspective. I have been extremely short sighted in many of the aspects of my study thus far in the course and I thank you for showing me that it really isn’t that cut and dry.
Cheers :)
Hey Jess,
Another thinker from you this week..
Interesting how far you've broken down the hospital setting. I've always seen the gowns, uniformity etc as a reflection of how little time and resources have for the little things that matter to us. A sign of "we have no time to let you fluff around with your own outfit and things of personal importance, just get in this gown that we know we can find our way around and operate in if need be. Yes it's a very plain gown, but they're cheaper if we purchase 100,000 at a time." I'm well aware of my ignorance though. If the world had more people like me and less of you, it wouldn't be a very thoughtful place and we'd be quite unhappy.
On somewhat of a tangent, it does seem to lead us open to a snowball effect: People have a negative healthcare experience, become hesitant to go back, become sick, rinse and repeat. Putting more of a priority in some cultural awareness would obviously save a lot of time, money and lives.
Talk to you tonight
Floyd
Hi Jess,
The shortfalls of the biomedical system that you mentioned cold make your topic quite good for assignment 2. The consideration of Maori/other beliefs are important ethically and are often poorly accounted for.
There's definitely rituals surrounding medicine in general in our society, even if we don't necessarily acknowledge them as such.
This was a really interesting read.
Have a happy holidays!
Hi Jess,
Your post prompted me to think about the cultures I grew up around and how different and alien the traditional biomedical viewpoint is to many of these cultures too. There seems to be an uncomfortable tension between the way humans chose to do things and our traditional beliefs, and the culture of medicine. It's very tricky to try and balance this, because we need to find a way to respect all cultures as well as achieving the best outcomes possible for those involved. Presumably, finding a balance between the two means that neither reaches maximum satisfaction and compromise is required on both sides.
This sort of discussion brings home to me that the more I learn, the more I realise that I still don't know. Everything becomes so much more complex than it seemed from the outside.
Overall, I found your post interesting and a little challenging, not coming from an anthropological background myself.
Cheers,
Michelle
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