Hinduism

Annotated Source- Birth on the Threshold

Cecilia Coale Van Hollen. Birth on the threshold childbirth and modernity in South India c2003

I recently started reading an amazing book called "Birth on the Threshold". The author, Ceilia Can Hollen takes the generally western argument of home birth verses hospital birth and brings it to the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She finds that while women amenable to western obstetric "interventions", there is still vast inequality in access to quality healthcare. Her aim is not to demonstrate the superiority of hospital birth, in fact she explores quality at home births. She explores the concept of sakthi, the idea the Tamil women derive power from their own suffering. She travels through these women's feelings contradictory feelings, namely their criticism of caste, gender, and class inequality yet recognize their part in perpetuating the system. I was thrilled when Ashley recommended this book. It is exactly what I have been looking for. I look forward to reading it more. 

In class Wednesday we discussed entering the community. We made social situation triangles to help us think about where we will find our target research populations and what we will be doing everyday. We then wrote about entering the community. I will include some of the questions and answers here.

1.  Which communities will you be seeking entrance to?
In short, I will be seeking to enter the world of women, especially mothers and mothers to be.

2. What is your primary project site/social situation?
My primary site is the Shanti Ashram.  I will also be interviewing women in their homes.

3. Is it suitable for your proposed project and why (consider logistical and safety concerns)?
The Shanti Ashram will be a great site to find women from all of the surrounding communities. They are accustomed to the NGO. As an intern I will be less intrusive than if I were to just enter their homes.

4. List possible sites (social situations within your primary site/social situation and whether they are open or closed sites (include those that would be appropriate for your project even if inaccessible).
Some open sites include the Shanti Ashram, the bus, the village, and various women's homes. It would be interesting to enter the community of a midwife or traditional style doctor. This may no be a possibility however.

We discussed how being able to answer these questions will prepare us to be able to still continue on with our project when things go wrong. If our plans fall through and our original plan are not panning out, being able to ask ourselves and answer these questions will help us be flexible and revamp our projects.

Here are some pretty pictures of saris.

 

IRB and Ethics

I enjoyed our class discussion on the IRB a few classes ago. It is amazing how new these standards for research really are. I always thought that harmful research had generally ended with the Nazis. I was shocked to hear about the research on syphilis and the deception of those involved. What really disgusted me was the compliance of the government agencies. Learning about the history of the IRB made writing my IRB much more meaningful. I was no longer annoyed at the length and stipulations, but grateful that research is evaluated so that risk is minimized. 

I recently read an blog post on an Indian doctor's blog that somewhat criticized the obsession with ethics and the IRB. He told the story of a doctor who encountered a medical problem he was not qualified to diagnose. Using social media he was able to collaborate with a specialist in another country to diagnose and treat the man who would not have been able to be treated or diagnosed otherwise. He sent the information in a secure manner, and exercised caution. After the treatment, the specialist and another doctor involved suggested that they together write up the experience and submit it to a medical journal to extol the benefits of using social media. The journal was immensely interested, but did not publish the article since the doctor was unable to locate the man he had treated. He tried to explain that he was from a tiny rural village very far away and despite his efforts he could not find him. They were too concerned with what the blogger referred to as "red bureaucratic tape" and the possibility of a lawsuit to publish a very enlightening piece. He expressed frustration that these well intended regulations are often harmful to the scientific community. It was interesting to hear his perspective. While it may have been harmless was not conducted as research, but more as a kind of after the fact case study I see the journal's concerns. Unfortunately there are those that without these precautions would conduct harmful research. Until we reach the point where these rules are no longer necessary, we will have to put up with the inconvenience of the IRB. If nothing else, it brings the possible repercussions of your research to your attention and makes you exercise caution.

Oh and enjoy the pretty picture of henna.....

Caste

Our class reading on Indian caste was fascinating. The book, took a realistic view of caste. While it has been illegal for some time, that does not mean that it does not still have a significant presence in society. The caste system has significantly changed, and not always for the better. The government's affirmative action welfare for low caste individuals has created a reverse caste system where people clamor for the benefits of a low caste. This system does have its merits, but it also perpetuates the very system it tries to correct. The author interviewed members of several different castes and explained the way each viewed caste.

What really struck me was the fatalistic undertone of each caste. This made me realize that perhaps the capitalistic desire for money, power, and prestige are not human nature at all. Here is an entire culture that is built on the idea that whatever class you are born into is a direct result of your past actions. God (or the gods in this case) want you to live the best life possible in your caste. This was quite a shift in my thinking. I considered further. Do I even like the pressure to dress better, work harder, earn more money, gain respect? Ok, fine, I do. But I am a competitive person. Do others? Sometimes I think it might be nice to have an outline of responsibilities and jobs available to you and a list of virtues to adopt. The choices are limited to be sure, but you can always do your job as well as you are able, and the promise of a better life in the future is rather alluring. Gaining insight into the caste has helped me better understand the cultural attitudes of the Indian people and question the foundations of my own culture. I feel greater sympathy for the caste system. We should not fully condemn them through our own individualistic lens. Neither view is better. In fact, they both would likely benefit from understanding one another.