Cultural Relativity in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Understanding Cultural Relativism: What’s Right and Wrong Anyway?

People often argue about what's right and wrong in society, right? The tricky part is that everyone has their own beliefs shaped by where they grew up and their culture. It's kinda like trying to solve a puzzle with pieces from different sets. This is where the idea of cultural relativism comes in. It’s all about accepting and understanding these differences. It doesn't really give us a clear answer because, honestly, we humans always want definite answers, don't we? But cultural relativism tells us no culture is better or worse than another.

The Story of 'The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down'

‘The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down’ is a great example of how two cultures can clash due to different beliefs and values but eventually find some common ground. The book's about the Lees, a family from Laos, moving to Merced, California as refugees. Their youngest daughter Lia's health issues become the center of this cultural clash between her family and American doctors. The main problem? The hospital staff didn’t get the Hmong culture at all. Instead of trying to understand it, they just expected the Lee family to fit into American ways.

The first big misunderstanding happened when Foua was at the hospital giving birth to Lia. In Hmong culture, hospitals aren't seen as healing places. There are even rumors that make them distrust modern medicine entirely—like doctors eating patients' organs! So you can imagine their hesitation. Meanwhile, doctors at Merced Community Medical Center were clueless about a Hmong custom involving burying a child's placenta; they’d just dispose of it without asking. When Hmong moms wanted their baby's placenta back, doctors assumed they wanted to eat it (which sounds crazy). They denied these requests, burning them instead, not realizing how important this was culturally.

Then Lia started having seizures three months after she was born. Thanks to a cousin who could translate for them, Dan Murphy finally diagnosed her with epilepsy. Here’s another clash: In America, epilepsy is something that needs fixing. But in Hmong culture? They call it “quag dab peg” and see it as a sign someone could become a spiritual healer—a pretty respected role! Lia’s main docs prescribed lots of meds without considering language barriers or that her family might be hesitant because of their beliefs.

Instead of figuring out why the plan wasn’t being followed properly, Ernst and Philp thought the Lees were either dumb or trying to trick them! This led to CPS taking Lia away from home. These examples show how one culture misunderstood another time after time.

So What’s The Takeaway Here?

The book doesn’t point fingers saying who's right or wrong about what should’ve been done for Lia's condition since both sides thought they were doing their best according to their beliefs! After finishing it though? You might think things would've been different if both sides understood each other better.

In chapter seventeen Anne Fadiman talks about eight questions created by Arthur Kleinman—he’s this Harvard psychiatrist/anthropologist guy—and those questions basically showed all conflicts throughout could’ve been avoided by simply asking what the Lees thought was happening with Lia or how they believed she should be treated!

The Importance Of Cultural Relativism

Cultural relativism matters because it lets people be different yet equal while promoting respect among each other—it creates an environment where folks aren’t judged based on their customs but embraced instead! This contrasts ethnocentrism—the belief your own culture rules above others’. Cultural relativism shifts focus from determining right/wrong towards understanding why things are viewed/done certain ways allowing freedom without judgment/reprimand which ultimately fosters societal growth/change since new ideas get accepted over time.

Real Life Isn’t Ideal Though… Is It?

Reality check—there are limitations here though… For starters suppressing personal biases isn’t easy meaning reaching conclusions nobody's actually wrong/right gets tricky real quick plus without set rules defining morals values differing perceptions/actions might cause chaos beyond control!

A potential solution lies within compromise however like Neil Ernst (remember him?) once said he wished he'd realized sticking one med instead three would've helped compliance even if less optimal medically speaking! Kleinman also mentioned moral hegemony implying docs saw themselves superior ideals-wise compared against Hmongs ultimately showing acknowledgment bias difference could've allowed agreements satisfying both Lia’s needs alongside familial cultural norms alike—so yeah cultural relativity ain’t perfect but understanding goes long way solving issues spanning worlds apart too!

References

• Fadiman, A. (1997). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
• Kleinman A., & Benson P. (2006). Anthropology in the Clinic: The Problem of Cultural Competency and How to Fix It – ResearchGate.
• Singer M., & Baer H.A (2018). Introducing Medical Anthropology: A Discipline in Action. Rowman & Littlefield.