Just as cultures vary in languages; ethics; food; and music, the beliefs surrounding medicine are equally distinct. As the Phil Brown article indicates, the culture of medicine is not always based on universal scientific practices, but more often on a set of constructed beliefs and traditions which differ greatly within distinct societal frameworks. For these reasons, it is unjust to compare the state of medical care and practice between cultures.
With this, I cannot help but think of the hundreds of organizations which circulate commercials portraying people (often children) in developing countries by comparing them to the standards in the West. One World Vision commercial comes to mind which shows Jan Arden walking around a small African village, looking utterly disgusted at the living conditions of the locals. “And this is the two bedroom model,” she would say, as the camera panned two thin mats on the dirt floor. I in no way intend to undermine the work these organizations do to bring clean water and vaccinations to those who are undoubtedly in need, but I do think that the way we define developing cultures in comparison to our own needs some serious reconsideration. Societies should not hold the standards of health and wellness of other cultures to the expectations of their own. To do this denies the profound role of traditional ethics, beliefs, and spirituality- all of which are components which are all too often discounted in favor of science.
4 responses to “When You Are Ill”