Victor Turner’s symbolic
anthropology is seen throughout most parts of the Western biomedical
field. Much of what doctors, patients,
and their relationships, are dictated by symbolic actions. Turner’s symbolic anthropology focused on the
importance of ritual and it is through individuals acting out these rituals
that they go through a crucial and transitional phase, referred to as
“liminality”. While stuck in liminality
a person is moving from one version of themselves and moving towards
integrating into a new self. This sense
of liminality is constantly appearing in medicine, and through medical
anthropology, an anthropologist can analyze for example a cancer patient and
how they move through the steps of being diagnosed, receiving chemo and other
treatments, surgery, and then moving into recovery. Aligned with Turner’s theory, must
restructure their identity and how others view them as a person once the
“natural world” has wiped away their original identity. Our society has created a complete set of rituals
and manners on which someone treats an individual diagnosed with cancer. It is through these rituals that our society
shows its understanding and acceptance for someone suffering from the
disease. Moreover, this newly diagnosed individual
learns how to act out the patterns or rituals that are connected to someone
undergoing cancer treatment. The patient
learns that acting out these set rituals are imperative for them to move from
being seen as sick to healthy. It is in
Turner’s theory that cancer patients move from being separated from the healthy
and try to integrate them back into “healthy” society that they are in a time
of liminality. This is a state of
ambiguity or otherness where the person is no longer the original identity but
also not yet the goal identity.
Moreover, it is understood as the individual lacking a status in a
society where everyone has one.
It is during this state of
liminality that Turner includes the term “communitas”. Communitas is understood to be the sense of
community or connectedness people create with others when both are stuck in the
same phase of liminality. When understanding
the process of going through cancer, an anthropologist can see how the patients
create their own communitas between themselves.
Nowadays we have so many support groups and meetings for individuals
diagnosed with cancer. We have patients
band together and discuss their chemo treatments and recovery process, finding
solidarity in their suffering and waiting period until recovery. They all share their progress of being in
liminality and how far or close they are to reaching final integration or goal
identity of being healthy. Furthermore,
communitas can be created among the family affected as well.
Victor Turner’s symbolic
anthropological theory and the importance of liminality is relevant in all
aspects of biomedicine. It is through
application of Turner’s writings that we have been able to understand the
treatment and ritualistic process of being a “sick” patient.
This was a really interesting read. I have never really considered the steps for cancer treatment as ritual for the sake of appearance, but I can understand where you are coming from in this. It really made me think about how our medical system works and the stigma society places on medical ailments and treatment. It is alarming that our society tends to marginalize those who suffer from diseases we do not understand completely, including HIV and Lupus as well as cancer.
ReplyDeleteThough you did not go into too much detail on it, I was very intrigued by the idea of treatment being for the world's benefit as well as the patient's. The structure within the medical system, then, is almost like a performance. This idea sort of leads into a more postmodern interpretation that plays off the symbolic one you presented very well. Going through treatment is not only for a patient's benefit on the biological level but also on the social level as he or she seeks to gain acceptance from a society that needs to see effort in changing one's circumstances before acknowledging a person. It's almost like the reality of the "American Dream," but more...medical.
Basically, I just thought this was a really cool post. :D
I find the points you raise very intriguing, especially the idea that comes from Turner, stating that people forced to the edge of society, to liminality, are necessarily trying to return to their regular position. What I find challenging about this idea in the case of cancer patients is that these people are not only fighting to return to society, but also for their lives. With this idea, I think of hospice care, in which the patient refuses all lifesaving treatment. At this time, the patients have decided not to fight for their lives or for a return to healthy society in the way we traditionally would think. I think normally, people choose hospice care to avoid pain and suffering, or possibly due to financial burden because they know that treatment will not save their lives. But perhaps there is an element of wanting to return to normalcy. For hospice care, the patients have the opportunity to return to their own homes. They no longer painful receive treatment meant to save or extend their lives, so though the cancer spreads, they often feel better. They are more able to visit with family in a more natural setting. So perhaps our traditional medical system of extending life at any cost really contradicts the idea that the sick want to return from liminality. In the case of hospice care, patients are so desperate for some sense of normalcy that they willing accept impending death to avoid the liminality of being sick.
ReplyDeleteVery thought-provoking post by Elizabeth and I enjoyed the comments as well. I am really craving more details, though, about the rituals and symbols that you feel function in this way. Please share more in some future setting!
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