Cultural Anthropology - Global Medicine (Ethno-Healing)

Cultural Anthropology: Ch. 5 - Cross-Cultural Healing Systems (Ethnomedicine)

Ethnomedicine is defined in our current chapter, "The Study of Cross-Cultural Health Systems" as global health systems of prevention, diagnosis, perception and classification of health problems, along with healing processes and healers.

An emic is an insider's perception for why they do what they do.  Medical Anthropoligists study both the disease and illness of the health problem.  The disease aspect is the biological health problem which is both objective and universal.  The illness or symptoms are classified as the culturally specific perceptions and experiences of a health problem.  Miller calls this the disease and illness dichotomy.

Important points brought up in the beginning of the chapter:

1) Medical anthropologists study how cultures label, categorize and classify their health problems. This is based on the ideologies and norms found within a particular culture.  A vector is the transmitter of a disease.

2) The idea of culture specific syndromes is introduced.  This is health problems with a set of symptoms associated with a particular culture, and they include social factors such as stress, fear or shock.

As I read about the examples shared in the text, I thought about a huge problem that is culture specific here in the United States:  Obesity is seen as a modern American plague to the rest of the foriegn world. Cultures that are not yet caught up to speed with us in industrialization don't see the hardships it causes.  Obesity is not just a "fat epidemic,"  it is more than the physical self.  The United States of America, is under deep economic stress caused by the demand of the industry culture and the so called "Large Value Meal" trend of the last few decades.

There are people that are a little bizzare and look at take out food as a creative way to eat at home.  Look at this Mcdonald's Happy Meal, Cheeseburger, McNuggets and Fries Pizza before and after it's cooked!! (Gross!)

It all began with Americans eating healthier prior to the Industrial Age when factories took over.  The farmers would grow their own crops and nothing was produced with chemicals, pre-packaged or frozen.  Now with McDonaldization and the evergrowing demand for fastfood resturants on every corner, obesity is worse then ever.  School cafeteria's are serving foods that are high in calories to fill the desire for burgers, hot dogs and pizza rather than having salad and turkey sandwiches (healthy options).  Another side to this is that is it not just the fast food restaurant industry's fault; parents are filling their children's lunchboxes with bad choices also. 

Another epidemic that is going on in America, is the Weightloss Craze.  Every tenth commercial or so is about weightloss pills.  This is the opposite to the obesity problem because every commercial is so sexualized with slender, beautiful actresses.  The tenth commercial comes on and at that point you have seen so many thin girls you're almost ready to buy the pills; its like they timed it just right. But, the pills can cause illnesses like cancer which the advertisers never say.  Here are some examples of all they brands of pills out there:

 

 

Miller discussed ethno-etiology, the cross-culturally specific causal explanation for health problems and suffering:  structural suffering, which is social suffering caused by poverty, war, famine and forced migration, and humoral healing, which is the philosophy of balance among elements within the body and within a person's environment.

 

 

Next the chapter introduced the three theoretical approaches to understanding health systems:

 

1.  Ecological/Epidemiological - This approach studies the importance of the environment.  Research methods used are mostly quantitative and etic (an outsider's analytic way of studying a culture).  This approach studies factors such as urbanization, historical trauma, availability of healthcare, etc.



 

2.  The Interpretivist Approach - This approach highlights symbols and meaning.  Healing systems provide meaning to people and this offers psychological support.  Western medicine calls this the "placebo effect" or "meaning effect."

 

3.  Critical Medical Anthropolgy - This approach analyzes how structural factors such as global media, political economy and social inequality affect the prevailing health system.

 

Finally, the chapter discussed globalization and change.  The example is given of the spread of HIV/AIDS through international travel and migration.  Deforestation and development projects have also caused epidemics through human modification of an ecosystem.

 

Applied Medical Anthropology is the application of knowledge learned in anthropology to further the goals of health-care providers.  This is one of the great benefits provided by anthropologists.

 

My Cultural Roots

The Story of My Family

As I interviewed my Dad and Mom I learned that all of my great grandparents immigrated to the United States from Europe.  I did not get to meet any of them, however, the stories I heard have brought them to life.

Schulman and Mintzer Family

This is the history of my dad's (Harvey Lee Schulman) family roots consisting of the Minzter family and the Schulman family. Anna and Yale Schulman along with Max and Sally Minzter is where all the history began.    The Schulmans immigrated around 1915 to the United States from Europe,an area now known as Belarus and formerly known as White Russia.

My Grandfather Murray Schulman was born in New York City in 1916, and he was one of five children: Jacob, Sam, Murray, Phillip and Julius. His family came to America with almost no money. They lived in the Bronx, New York in a densely populated high-rise area. They settled in a neighborhood where there were a lot of Jewish people. Dad’s grandfather, Yale was a tailor, and his Grandmother Anna was a homemaker and raised her five children. Neither Yale nor Anna learned to drive. Their first language was Yiddush and they learned English in America. Yale was very religious and would walk to synagogue to pray everyday. He also loved fishing and would walk to the nearby pier, fish, and bring home his catch for dinner. My father shared that both of his grandmothers were great cooks. They would cook traditional Jewish foods like matzo ball soup, blintzes and kreplach. Of Yale and Anna's children, one became a lawyer, one an engineer, two business entrepreneurs, and the last was a government administrative worker. Only one of the children (Jacob) went to college, as the others needed to work. Four of the five uncles served in the military during WWII. My dad’s Father, Murray owned a furniture store in Miami for many years.

Murray Schulman

 

Grandma Jeanette (Horowitz, maiden name Mintzer) was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1919.  She immigrated to North America through Ellis Island, New York City in 1927 when she was only 8 years old speaking only Yiddish.



These two photos show Jeanette Mintzer and Murray Schulman (Bottom Center) at Mintzer residence for their wedding

 

 

Grandma Jeanette was also one of five children: Herman, Jeanette, Ethel, Helen and Joseph. Her family came to America looking for a better life from post-war Europe.  None of the children were college-educated.  Her two brothers were builders in South Florida and the Bahamas.  Two of the three aunts worked in retail clothing, and all of them were homemakers.  

 

 After their marriage, Murray and Jeanette had two children:  Eileen (my aunt) and Harvey (my dad).  Murray died when Harvey was in high school.  It was a very sad time for everyone.  Jeanette later met Irving Horowitz and they married.  So Irving was the grandpa that I knew and loved.

 



 

Grandpa Irv was a kind soul, he would always have foriegn coins from his travels for me or neat American Flag memorabilia. He loved telling me stories about how he was raised and taught the right things in school.  He would always have something new to tell me everytime I came to visit.  I would also leave the apartment with him reminding me of a life rule of some sort.  He passed away and I miss him very much.

 

Aunt Eileen married Gary Cohen and they had two children, Mikki and Michael (my cousins).  Eileen and Gary divorced, and many years later, Eileen  married Richard Tyson.  We visit the Tysons whenever we have a chance to get down to Miami, Florida.

 

Me With Uncle Gary At Michael Cohen's Wedding

 

 

This is a photo of my dad, Harvey, Grandma Jeanette,  Aunt Eileen Tyson and my mom, Marilyn with me in the corner.

 

Aunt Ellie, Uncle Dick, Marilyn and Harvey Schulman at The Horrowitz Residence (1984)

 



The Emoff Familly

My mother’s grandparents were Benjamin and Eva Pollack and Joseph and Margaret Emoff.

Marilyn’s grandparents also came from White Russia (now Belarus). She knows less about her grandparents than my father and did not get to know them personally. My mom expressed to me that she is so grateful that I have had an opportunity to have close relationships with all my grandparents. My mother’s parents, Al and Selma Emoff, were both born in the United States. My Grandmother Selma lived in Detroit, Michigan, and Grandfather Alexander (Al) lived in Cleveland, Ohio.

My Grandfather Al was also one of five children: Lester, Arthur, Alexander, Lillian and Florence. His father, Joseph Emoff, died when he was about 4 years old. Great-grandmother Margaret was a homemaker and raised her five children by herself.

My Grandmother Selma was one of three children: Elvin, Rayetta and Selma. Her family immigrated to the United States in the 1920’s. My great-grandparents, Eva and Benjamin did not stay married long after the birth of their children. Their divorce was considered very unusual as people, as a rule, stayed married during that time period. Benjamin was a jeweler. Eva’s family did not consider this to be a very worthy job, though Grandpa Ben made beautiful things and was a kind soul. My mom said that Selma talked so fondly of Eva (her mom).

                          

She said that Eva was very kind-hearted, cared much about her practice of Judaism, was able to make fine lace and other beautiful things, and she enjoyed cooking and baking.  Eva became ill when my Grandmother Selma was about 11 years old, and she was hospitalized until she died.  It was a very difficult time for my grandmother.  When she met my grandfather, the two of them fell deeply in love and created a wonderful sense of family together.  Grandfather Al worked in a shoe store when he was young, and he later served in the army during WWII.  After their marriage, he and Selma moved to Orlando, Florida, where they went into the furniture business.  Al opened the “Home Furniture Company.” 

My grandparents were important people in the formation of the Jewish Community in Orlando, and Al helped many people to decorate their homes.  In Orlando, they had four children: Jerome, Marilyn, David and Ronald.  Baby David died when he was only ten weeks old.  Even though Jerry and my mom were very young, David’s death affected them deeply.  Ron was born later.  My grandparents were not college educated because they needed to work.  Mom shared that she and her brothers all were able to graduate with college degrees and her parents were so very proud.  Family, education and our Jewish heritage were all valued in my grandparents’ home. 

 

My Parents and Me                    

Marilyn & Harvey Schulman

My father, Harvey Schulman met my mother, Marilyn Emoff, when they were freshmen in college at the University of Florida. They later married in 1976. I was born in August of 1983. In the Jewish religion, babies are named in honor of people who have died. I was named after my dad’s father, Murray Nathan Schulman, and after my mom’s baby brother, David Alan Emoff.

Let me show you some amazing pictures of my parents and grandparents enjoying me as a new born!

Harvey Schulman 

           Marilyn Schulman

 Selma Emoff

Jeanette Horrowitz

Uncle Jerry Smiling at me  (10 weeks old)

Me and Great Aunt Lillian with my mom (Marilyn in purple)

 

 

An Important Jewish Tradition at 13 is having your Barmitvah; I enjoyed mine! 

 

 

 Again, hearing the stories of my family has really brought them to life for me.  I appreciate the values that have been passed down to me:  family, kindness, education, religion, work ethic and love!



Leaving Mother Lake - Half Way Review

Nathan Schulman

 

Halfway Book Review

 

Leaving Mother Lake

Namu's memoir takes place in the remote areas of the Himalayas (Northern Yunnan); a place the Chinese call "the country of daughters."  This is the home of the Moso, a society in which women rule.  In this culture and society, marriage is a foreign practice.  Property is passed from mother to daughter (matrilineal descent).  There is a matriach who overseas each family's customs, rituals and economics.

Namu

Namu wants to know about her birth.  Her Ama, her mother, tells her that she was nothing but trouble and that she cried for the first three years of her life.  Ama’s best friend, Dujema tells her the story.  Namu was born in the year of the horse and it was early in winter.  Everyone thought that Latso, (Namu’s mother), was birthing a boy because her labor was so painful.

My mother’s disappointment at my birth was unusual, says Namu.  For the Moso, it is custom to favor daughters over sons. Women inherit the family house and rule the household.  Men’s roles are to herd the yaks in the mountains, to travel with the horse caravans to trade in the outside world, and to make the journey to Lhasa to study the holy Buddhist scriptures and become lamas (holy men), who name the children and send the souls of the departed on to the next cycle of life.

According to family tradition, family should never divide.  Daughters and sons should remain with the mother and other maternal relatives for their entire life.  Ideally, all family members should die in the house where they were born.  However, Namu’s mother had broken with tradition…when she was young she had run away because she was proud and strong…and settled two days walk away in Zuosuo, so her family was different from traditional ones…no men and no grandmothers and aunts.

Zhemi (from Quianso ~ where Namu’s grandmother lived) was Namu’s father.  Women and men do not marry, for the Moso believe that love is like the seasons, it comes and goes.  A Moso woman may have many lovers and many children in her lifetime.   None of the children live with their fathers.  Children live in their mother’s homes and take the family name of maternal ancestors.  Children grow up with their cousins.  The only men in the house are the brothers and uncles of the women, so children have many uncles who take care of them.

So little Namu proved to be troublesome when she cried incessantly…Her Ama took her to the Lama to help with naming her and to get her to stop crying.  The Lama named her Erche Namu, meaning “treasured princess.”  This naming, however, did not stop Namu’s crying.  Namu was exchanged three times with another child (a custom in the Moso culture) in an effort to solve her situation, and each time she was returned, because she kept crying.  Instead, her older sister was sent to live with Aunt Yufang, and Ama gave birth to a little boy, Howei.  Namu became fascinated with Howei, and never cried again.  She had cried enough for a lifetime.

The book goes on to tell the story of Namu’s mother, Latso, who grew up in the region of Qiansuo.  Her mother was the Dabu, head of household, in charge of planning and organizing work and distributing food and other goods.  Grandmother was respected and given attention by everyone in the family.  Dabu are entrusted with responsibility because they are wise, smart and capable.

All Moso women are hardworking and skillful:   plowing the earth, chopping wood, sewing clothes, and butchering animals.  Moso men  helped in the fields, made furniture, and took care of outside business as described above.  Namu’s grandmother educated her daughters to take care of the fields and the house, and she entrusted to her brothers the rearing of her sons, as per Moso custom.

Grandmother lost one of her sons to the caravan, he never returned and she grieved his loss greatly. Namu’s mother, Latso, was grandmother’s third daughter.  Grandmother had hoped that she would become Dabu and succeed her as head of the family.

In 1956, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reached Yongning, the Moso capital.  The Communists came to Qiansuo, and said that “China had ‘turned over’ and a new era had dawned” (p. 22).  Moso women do not travel far, because they are responsible for the crops and the house.  Very few of the women had ever seen Chinese people before.  They invited them to spend the night in their homes.  The Chinese people began their revolutionary work…they hung red banners with Chinese characters that no one in the village could read, held daily political meetings to teach the local masses.  The older people got bored, while the young people were captivated, for the Communists said that the young people are the most vital force in society.

Latso was very influenced by the meetings she attended and Grandmother could see that her education of her daughter was coming undone.  Namu says in the story that boredom turned my mother into a revolutionary.

Moso custom forbids shouting at relatives, so grandmother shouted at the pigs.  She sang words of ritual for people who have lost their souls (the pigs just ran away).  The whole family noticed the change in my mother.  She chose to leave with the revolutionaries.  Ama was too embarrassed and stubborn to change her mind and stay home.

Latso fell in love with Numbu (a courtship song and dancing are described), and a home was built for her in Zuosuo (2 days walk from Grandmother’s home).  Namu says, “My mother’s decision to start her own family was a shocking one.  Dividing the maternal house goes very much against Moso tradition” (p. 33).  Ama’s home was like all the other houses in the village.  All Moso speak the same language, but every village has its own dialect and intonation, and Latso's accent was interesting to her new neighbors.  Numbu lived with his Mother and relations through the female line.  He would visit Latso at night.  When a Moso woman wished to no longer see a lover, she would hang his bag on a nail outside her door, according to custom.  The lover would see this and leave.

Latso had many opportunities to return home to her Mother, but she said, “I am going to show my mother that I can raise my own family” (p. 37).  As the story telling continues, Namu, her Ama and sister, Zhema find out the terrible news that Grandmother is gravely ill. They must hurry to Qiansuo in the morning.   They had much preparation to make for in Moso custom, Ama had to bring a gift for every member of her family as well as for every family in Grandmother's village.  Gifts usually consisted of tea, sugar or wine. Ama's family returns to Grandmother's home too late, for Grandmother has died.  The death rituals leading to cremation of the body are discussed.  Ama returns home a deeply saddened woman.  She continues to do her chores and cooks for her family, however, in a quiet way that shows her grief.

 

So far, this book has been a good read.  Namu writes her memoir in a style that keeps the reader interested, while educating him/her in the customs of a matrilineal society. 

 

Kinship and Social Groups

Nathan Schulman
Cultural Anthropology
9/12/12




All cultures have a way of defining kinship or a sense of being related by blood or friendship.  The kinship system is defined as the predominant form of kin relations in a culture and the kinds of behavior involved.


The Kinship Diagram (Genealogy) is a schematic way of presenting a family tree.  Anthropology focuses more closely on the family descent through parentage. First you look at bilineal descent meaning the child is related by descent.  Unilineal means only one parent is descent.  An example of bilineal descent would be both males and females contribute to making a living allowing for small family units and spatial mobility.

 

 

Each culture has different rules for the kinship system and thus, everyones diagram will not be drawn to a uniform shaape, length or size.  Kinship diagrams vary in all forms of designs depending on detail known on your family background.  You do not have to shove all of your diagram on one sheet of paper, it can be as many pages as needed for your family background.  Kinship diagrams can branch out to even include you recent friends or ones you knew since childhood.


Social Groups & Social



Socials groups can be things we do for hobby or cultural practice.  One joins clubs, does cultural rituals, joins a sports team or hangs out with friends.  Social groups are defined as social interaction affinities (social communication linkage between two people).