Category: Reading Analysis

Reading Log #7

In this week’s readings, there was a focus on contesting the ideals of both society, and the medical profession. In Anika Stafford’s article, she focuses on elementary school students, who are challenging the social norms of their community. For example, one young girl who does not feel comfortable playing the game with his peers decides to tell them that “’anyone can play any part’”[1]. This is a simple example of one student taking a role that she is supposed to play, and flipping it on it’s head. This encouraged some of the other girls to play in the boy roles in the game and vice versa. Another example in Stafford’s article is that of the young child named Duncan who displays violent behavior such as “lashing out, throwing objects at students, yelling, and running away”[2]. However, once this young boy admitted that sometimes he felt “’like a girl inside’”[3], he was much less violent and much more likely to engage in activities with his fellow classmates. Stafford gives multiple examples of kids who are standing up against societal beliefs and ideals. In this way, these children are becoming powerful voices of change in society. Similarly, Tracy Penny-Light focuses on how many individuals contested illness and challenged the ideals of the medical profession. One particular example in Penny-Light’s work is close to my own experiences as a bullied child. Therefore, I understand the need for the young boy who has “ gynecomastia”[4] and how he would want to have cosmetic surgery that would allow him to fit in and prevent kids from calling him “’half-man, half-woman’”[5]. Another example that Penny-Light provides is that of the woman who informs her doctor that “’God placed me on this earth with two breasts and He will take me away with them’”[6]. As Penny-Light highlights the woman had a genuine reason to receive the surgery, namely to “prevent the spread of cancer”[7], she chose instead to live by her own means and contest the traditional medical procedure. These examples help to show how many men and women in the twentieth century, were beginning to stand up for themselves and tell the medical professionals what they needed, which oftentimes did not coincide with what the doctor prescribed. This was a way for Canadians to stand up against the authority and ideals of their time, and have their own voice in their healthcare. Similar to this, are the children in Stafford’s article, who choose to stand up against their communities ideas of gender and social norms. In both readings for this week, there were examples of Canadian adults and children defining and contesting illness as well as standing up against the authority and ideals of their society.

In my own readings for this week, I went over every article that I have picked out, and as a result I was able to sort them into key categories, that helped to shape my paper as a whole. What I found was that a vast majority of my articles were either focused on a certain time period i.e. the 70’s or 80’s or were focused on specific issues like the use of anabolic steroids in adolescent men. Also, after going over the articles, I found that many of them commented on the differences that men and women had in regards to body image. Furthermore, I found some article’s from Maclean’s, that served as both primary and secondary sources. One particular article from Maclean’s, highlighted the discomfort that a thirty year old man felt with his body and it helped to give a more unique aspect to my paper that I was looking for. Overall, this week was very productive as my readings allowed me to complete my research paper.

[1] Anika Stafford, “I Feel Like a Girl Inside: Possibilities for Gender and Sexual Diversity in Early Primary School,” BC Studies no.189, (Spring 2016): 10.

[2] Anika Stafford, “I Feel Like a Girl Inside: Possibilities for Gender and Sexual Diversity in Early Primary School,” BC Studies no.189, (Spring 2016): 23.

[3] Anika Stafford, “I Feel Like a Girl Inside: Possibilities for Gender and Sexual Diversity in Early Primary School,” BC Studies no.189, (Spring 2016): 23.

[4] Tracy Penny-Light, “From Fixing to Enhancing Bodies: Shifting Ideals of Health and Gender in the Medical Discourse on Cosmetic Surgery in Twentieth Century Canada,” in Bodily Subjects, Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, ed. Tracy Penny-Light, Barbara Brooks, and Wendy Mitchinson (Quebec: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2014), 353-372.

[5] Tracy Penny-Light, “From Fixing to Enhancing Bodies: Shifting Ideals of Health and Gender in the Medical Discourse on Cosmetic Surgery in Twentieth Century Canada,” in Bodily Subjects, Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, ed. Tracy Penny-Light, Barbara Brooks, and Wendy Mitchinson (Quebec: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2014), 353-372.

[6] Tracy Penny-Light, “From Fixing to Enhancing Bodies: Shifting Ideals of Health and Gender in the Medical Discourse on Cosmetic Surgery in Twentieth Century Canada,” in Bodily Subjects, Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, ed. Tracy Penny-Light, Barbara Brooks, and Wendy Mitchinson (Quebec: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2014), 353-372.

[7] Tracy Penny-Light, “From Fixing to Enhancing Bodies: Shifting Ideals of Health and Gender in the Medical Discourse on Cosmetic Surgery in Twentieth Century Canada,” in Bodily Subjects, Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, ed. Tracy Penny-Light, Barbara Brooks, and Wendy Mitchinson (Quebec: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2014), 353-372.

Bibliography

Penny-Light, Tracy. “From Fixing to Enhancing Bodies: Shifting Ideals of Health and Gender in the Medical Discourse on Cosmetic Surgery in Twentieth Century Canada.” In Bodily Subjects, Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, edited by Tracy Penny-Light, Barbara Brooks, and Wendy Mitchinson, 353-372. Quebec: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2014.

Stafford, Anika. “I Feel Like a Girl Inside: Possibilities for Gender and Sexual Diversity in Early Primary School.” BC Studies no.189, (Spring 2016): 10-29.

Reading Log #6

In this week’s set of readings, the articles were all focused on the idea of authority and ideals of medical experts. Catherine Carstairs and Rachel Elder spoke to the rise of fluoridation in the dental profession and in public health and how there was a very vocal part of society that was against this revolution. In the chapter of Mary-Ellen Kelm’s book Colonizing Bodies, she focuses on how the Canadian government was focused on the medicalization of the indigenous people as a way to integrate them into society. Finally, Cynthia Comacchio  highlights the Canadian’s governments role in controlling the healthcare and body image ideals that children/teenagers should aspire to. After reading both articles and the book, I found that hidden in each reading was an example of people contesting illness and standing up against the medical authorities of the time period. This is interesting, because it highlights how people were constantly aware of the government’s role in society and in many cases they chose to stand up against it. Furthermore, there are suggestions in each reading that people in authoritative roles decided to speak for the entire population. In Comacchio’s article, she highlights how many young men were told that in order to be a man, a boy would have to learn to have “physical strength and dominance”[1]. Which is an ideal that is being placed on a child, who is still growing and learning what it is to be a child, let alone a man. Comacchio also talks about how doctors wanted to keep the healthcare of children to themselves and steer away from routine check-ups in schools. This points to the fact that doctors who insisted upon their authority, often neglected the patients that they should have been treating. In Kelm’s book there are also examples of how doctors mistreated their patients. Kelm states how when doctors were appointed to a certain area, they were often not concerned with the health and well-being of the indigenous community. Kelm comments on how “native people were seldom well-served”[2]. Furthermore, many doctors were simply involved for the salary or the political power that came with the position. The idea of medical authority is also highlighted in Carstairs and Elder’s article. In their article they cite a doctor who is quoted as saying “’the idea of holding plebiscites to decide on fluoridation is a lot of nonsense’”[3]. Essentially, this doctor is saying that citizens should have no voice in their own health. However, Carstairs and Elder point out that many people did not accept this viewpoint and decided to contest it. What I found interesting was that all the readings focused on the medical authority, however, in every reading there was also examples of how citizens contested this idea. Whether that be the indigenous people fighting for proper healthcare and not accepting the drunk or uncaring doctors they were left with. Or the parents and teachers who resisted the medical professionals in Comacchio’s article. Or all the “anti-fluoridationists”[4] that sprung up against the doctors and scientists pushing fluoride down the throats of Canadian citizens. I enjoyed this week’s readings, because they all highlighted the fact that humans have never been completely without agency, even when fighting with the intimidating forces of the Canadian Medical Association.

For my own readings this week, I looked at the article by Ellexis Boyle entitled “Marketing muscular masculinity in Arnold: the education of a bodybuilder”. This article is particularly relevant, because it is directly related to one of the primary sources I chose and it also highlights the effect that marketing can have on male body image. Furthermore, it comments on ideals of masculinity and how these ideas can affect a man psychologically and physically. Boyle comments on how Schwarzenegger contributed to the idea of a “physical perfection” [5] and how that relates to masculinity. In my research project, I really want to emphasize how being healthy is important, but not to the point of psychological or physical damage. I think this article will help to show how having a perfect physical physique may be attractive, but it can also cause unhealthy issues as well.

[1] Cynthia Comacchio, “The Rising Generation: Laying Claim to the Health of Adolescents in English Canada, 1920-70,” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History 19, (2002): 142.

[2] Mary-Ellen Kelm, Colonizing Bodies: Aboriginal Health and Healing in British Columbia, 1900-50 (Vancouver: UBC Press, 1998): 129.

[3] Catherine Carstairs, and Rachel Elder, “Expertise, Health, and Popular Opinion: Debating Water Fluoridation, 1945-80,” The Canadian Historical Review 89, no.3 (September 2008): 355.

[4] Catherine Carstairs, and Rachel Elder, “Expertise, Health, and Popular Opinion: Debating Water Fluoridation, 1945-80,” The Canadian Historical Review 89, no.3 (September 2008): 355.

[5] Ellexis Boyle, “Marketing Masculinity in Arnold: the education of a bodybuilder,” Journal of Gender Studies 19, no.2 (June 2010): 153.

Bibliography

Boyle, Ellexis. “Marketing Masculinity in Arnold: the education of a bodybuilder.” Journal of Gender Studies 19, no.2 (June 2010): 153-166.

Carstairs, Catherine and Rachel Elder. “Expertise, Health, and Popular Opinion: Debating Water Fluoridation, 1945-80.” The Canadian Historical Review 89, no.3 (September 2008): 345-371.

Comacchio, Cynthia. “The Rising Generation: Laying Claim to the Health of Adolescents in English Canada, 1920-70.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History 19, (2002): 139-168.

Kelm, Mary-Ellen. Colonizing Bodies: Aboriginal Health and Healing in British Columbia, 1900-50. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1998.

Reading Log #5

This week’s readings focused on the different ways in which men and women view their bodies and how they can alter them through exercise. In Jenny Ellison’s chapter, Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985 she discusses how many overweight women found comfort in exercising at classes hosted by “Large as Life”[1]. Ellison explains how the women who were a part of this movement were allowed to “participate in health and popular culture in a way that they had not previously believed was available to them”[2]. Ellison’s chapter highlights the fact that at this time women began to feel as if their bodies were there own. Although the problem was not entirely fixed, women came a lot closer to being able to feel as if they had some control over how their body was perceived and also how they felt. This is an interesting contrast to Thomas Wendelboe’s chapter, The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era he explores how many men were controlled by heterosexual stereotypes, that were dominating marketing campaigns. Wendelboe highlights how masculinity was linked to “the image of the male athlete”[3] and also how “the healthy male body was a disciplined body”[4]. This is interesting, because it shows how early advertisements began to push men into a certain direction. Furthermore, it proves how men have had issues with their body image for far longer than most people think. The link between both these articles, is the fact that both sexes have issues with how their bodies look and feel. However, in Ellison’s chapter, the women are dealing with being overweight, however, there is a much more positive takeaway from her chapter. Through the LAL movement, many women found empowerment and a sense of community with others who were experiencing similar circumstances. Whereas, Wendelboe’s chapter focuses on how advertisements have led to men feeling very negative about their bodies. Furthermore, Wendelboe shows how these ads promoted homosexuality as a type of disease and that healthy men should refrain from any homosexual tendencies. That notion is extremely psychologically damaging to any man struggling with their sexuality. On a purely physical level, these ads promoted the use of steroids in men for them to fit in and be more masculine. Again the difference between approach is astounding. However, Wendelboe is studying ads that are made to sell a product, whereas, Ellison is focusing on a group of women who are trying to help each other. It is psychologically viable that the overall tone of the chapters are different. However, although the chapters are different, they both show how important body image is and how there are both negative and positive ways to negotiate these images. This week’s readings were enjoyable and I think that the Wendelboe chapter could be useful in my research paper.

[1] Jenny Ellison, “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985” in Gender, Health, and Popular Culture, Historical Perspectives, ed. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2017), 193-210.

[2] Jenny Ellison, “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985” in Gender, Health, and Popular Culture, Historical Perspectives, ed. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2017), 193-210.

[3] Thomas Wendelboe, “The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era” in Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Ed. Tracy Penny Light (Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011), 245-263.

[4] Thomas Wendelboe, “The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era” in Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Ed. Tracy Penny Light (Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011), 245-263.

Bibliography

Ellison, Jenny. “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985” in Gender, Health, and Popular Culture, Historical Perspectives, ed. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh, 193-210. Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2017.

Wendelboe, Thomas. “The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era” in Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Ed. Tracy Penny Light, 245-263. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011.

In my own readings this week, I looked at the article by Stephen Edwards and Catherine Laudner. In this article, they discuss the results of a recent survey they conducted to determine how men feel about their bodies. What is interesting is that many men wanted to be more muscular, in order to become more attractive to women. They also found out that men were just as concerned with their body image as women were. However, the different sexes go about it in different ways. Men want to be muscular and women want to be thin. I think this article will help to highlight how men are very concerned with how they look. Furthermore, they are specifically interested in becoming more muscular. This may help to link to the film Pumping Iron. Also almost every secondary source I have found was written in the 1990’s, so there may have been a resurgence in physicality or just a stronger interest in studying men’s obsession with body image.

Reading Log #4

This week’s readings focused on cancer and the various effects it has on gender ideals, psychology and the physiological body. Miele and Clarke’s article focused on how men can be overlooked on the issue of prostate cancer. They contribute this to the fact that “hegemonic masculinity”[1] inhibits the ability to talk about and come to grips with the reality of being sick, let alone having a disease like cancer. This kind of toxic masculinity stops men from discussing their individual health for fear of being unmanly. Furthermore, men were afraid to admit that they may be dealing wit prostate cancer because it could lead to “impotence”[2] and a loss of “sexual function”[3]. This suggests that cancer does not just have the physical manifestations that society is aware of but it also has a psychological effect on many men. Similarly, in Patricia Jasen’s article she speaks to the psychological aspects of breast and cervical cancer in women. Furthermore, Jasen comments on how many of the psychologists were working with the “Freudian vision of the female psyche”[4]. Which in the context of the time was absolutely ridiculous. These researchers even go as far as to say that cancer in women was linked to the idea that women wanted to have a “career”[5]. They were labouring under the delusion that any woman who did not fulfill the ideals of traditional feminity was more likely to be diagnosed with cancer. Furthermore, they argued that sexual deviancy and cancer went hand in hand in relation to women. It is extremely troubling that these researchers were more interested in diagnosing women based on some outdated Freudian psychology, than actually dealing with the psychological issues that arise from cancer. This is also seen in Wendy Mitchinson’s article, where she suggests that doctors would remove “the breast”[6] without “a definitive diagnosis”[7]. This is absolutely terrifying. It shows how doctors at the time did not even consider the psychological impact that a women would have after losing both of her breasts. What becomes clear after reading these articles, is that the real needs of cancer patients were often being overlooked for multiple reasons outside of their control. In Mandy Hadenko’s article she speaks about the difficulty of arranging screenings for cervical cancer. Hadenko highlights the difficulty that many women had with these screenings, especially considering many women found them invasive and cruel. She also hints at the fact that there was an obvious class distinction when it came to these screenings. She states how fees of many clinics were as high “as $19.13”[8]. The reality of the fees of testing, prevented many women from a lower social class from being screened. All of these articles highlight the fact that cancer is extremely difficult to deal with both psychologically and physically. Furthermore, each article seems to want to discourage people who would try to diagnose and treat cancer patients in one certain way. Instead a multi-faceted approach should be employed, that takes into consideration all the aspects of cancer such as: psychological effects, racial and economical issues, and gender issues.

1] Rachelle Miele and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

[2] Rachelle Miele and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

[3] Rachelle Miele and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

[4] Patricia Jasen. “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History no.2 (2003): 265-297.

[5] Patricia Jasen. “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History no.2 (2003): 265-297.

[6] Mitchinson, Wendy. “The Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat,” in Body Failure: Medical Views of Women, 1900-1950, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013: 215-238.

[7] Mitchinson, Wendy. “The Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat,” in Body Failure: Medical Views of Women, 1900-1950, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013: 215-238.

[8] Hadenko, Mandy, “The Challenge of Developing and Publicizing Cervical Screening Programs: A Canadian Perspective.” In Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Ed), Gender, Health and Popular Culture: Historical Perspectives. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011: 127-152.

Bibliography

Hadenko, Mandy, “The Challenge of Developing and Publicizing Cervical Screening Programs: A Canadian Perspective.” In Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Ed), Gender, Health and Popular Culture: Historical Perspectives. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011: 127-152.

Jasen, Patricia. “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History 20 no.2 (2003): 265-297.

Miele, Rachelle, and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

Mitchinson, Wendy. “The Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat,” in Body Failure: Medical Views of Women, 1900-1950, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013: 215-238.

The article I looked at for my own research this week was Evolving Ideas of Male Body Image as Seen Through Action Toys. In this article, the authors emphasize the difference in action figures and how they reflect the changing ideals of male body image. This article will be useful because it shows how more and more men are feeling as uncomfortable about their bodies as women are. Furthermore, it helps to show how young children are playing with these toys and as a result are forming ideas about how their body should look like one of their action figures. It is also beneficial to my thesis statement that many of these figures were influenced by bodybuilders and Hollywood. Because of these action figures, many young adults become confused about how their bodies should look. Furthermore, the article also speaks to how many young men want a muscular body, which is something more unique to men and body image. This article will help argue the fact that the growing popularity of gyms and male body dissatisfaction, could be a result of films like Pumping Iron, which helped to influence how men want to look. In conclusion, I think this article will be helpful to further my thesis and show a different aspect of body image, specifically how children think of their bodies through their action figures.

Reading Log #3

This week’s readings discussed some of the different aspects of pregnancy. Which included Shannon Jette’s conversation about physical exertion during pregnancy and Margaret Macdonald’s article on midwifery and common assumptions about the state of the pregnant body. Finally, Barbara Clow contributed her thoughts on drugs and women’s mental state during pregnancy. All these articles speak to the complicated situations that women are faced with during pregnancy. It’s interesting how so many women have such strong opinions on what is a so called “natural birth”[1] in MacDonald’s article. What became apparent after reading this article was that many woman have their own definition of what a natural birth is. One similar theme throughout all of the stories was that all of the women wanted to feel agency. Whether that be the decision to have a midwife or not or to accept the help of doctor’s and drugs like epidurals. I think the most important thing is to make sure that the baby is healthy no matter what method is employed. For some women the answer is to completely eliminate doctor’s and technology altogether. One women said that it is wrong to “override the body in pregnancy and labor through tests and medications”[2]. Viewpoints like this can be frustrating because it endorses the view of one particular person and may make some women shy away from medical help when they may desperately need it. Overall, this article highlights the many different ways in which women decide to plan their pregnancies. MacDonald does a good job of showing many different viewpoints without prescribing to any particular point. She emphasizes that all the ideas have merit, but it comes down to what is best for each individual women. Similarly, in Jette’s article she speaks about the idea of physical exertion during pregnancy and how society’s ideas have changed on the subject. For example, in the early twentieth century it was common for doctors to preach against the “dangers of overexertion during pregnancy”[3]. This highlights the view of many people during this period, that women were frail creatures to be handled delicately, especially during pregnancy. However, this was proven false as early as the 1950’s when women were competing during “the Olympic Games”[4]. This is interesting because it shows how common misconceptions about gender can be completely false. In today’s society the common practice is to stay physically fit by walking and exercising while maintaining a healthy diet. Although this is not always the case, as many women choose to be just as active before the pregnancy as they are during. Finally, Clow’s chapter in the book Women, Health and Nation helps to show how dangerous drug use can be and also that education is crucial to a healthy pregnancy. For example, she shows how many nervous mothers during the 50’s were scared of the reality of being a single mother and would therefore turn to pills for their anxiety. This is seen when some mother’s were so convinced that they weren’t pregnant that they “attributed their symptoms to tension rather than to pregnancy”[5]. As a result, many women would be prescribed Thalidomide and harm their child in the process. However, there are examples of women who took Thalidomide by accident and chose to take action. Sherri Finkbine took her husbands prescription of Thalidomide and for fear of harm to her unborn child went to Sweden to have an abortion there. By using this example, Clow shows that women were not without agency when it came to these drugs. Which seems to be a thread throughout all these articles. The idea that whether it be exercise, pregnancy plans, or drug use no women was completely without agency when it came to the choices they made during their individual pregnancies.

] Margaret Macdonald, “Gender Expectations: Natural Bodies and Natural Birth n he New Midwifery in Canada,” Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 20, 2 (2006): 248.

[2] Margaret Macdonald, “Gender Expectations: Natural Bodies and Natural Birth n he New Midwifery in Canada,” Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 20, 2 (2006): 246.

[3] Shannon Jette, “Exercising Caution: The Production of Medical Knowledge about Physical Exertion during Pregnancy,” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History, 28,2 (2011): 296.

[4] Shannon Jette, “Exercising Caution: The Production of Medical Knowledge about Physical Exertion during Pregnancy,” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History, 28,2 (2011): 296.

[5] Barbara Clow, “An Illness of Nine Months’ Duration: Pregnancy and Thalidomide Use in Canada and the United States,” in Feldberg, Ladd-Taylor, Li and McPherson, Women, Health, and Nation, Montreal McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2003: 54.

Bibliography

Clow, Barbara. “An Illness of Nine Months’ Duration: Pregnancy and Thalidomide Use in Canada and the United States,” in Feldberg, Ladd-Taylor, Li and McPherson, Women, Health, and Nation, Montreal McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2003: 45-66.

Jette, Shannon. “Exercising Caution: The Production of Medical Knowledge about Physical Exertion during Pregnancy,” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History, 28,2 (2011): 293-313.

Macdonald, Margaret. “Gender Expectations: Natural Bodies and Natural Birth n he New Midwifery in Canada,” Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 20, 2 (2006): 235-256.

Reading Log #2

After reading the articles by Maureen Lux and Ian Mosby and the chapter out of Colonizing Bodies by Mary-Ellen Kelm, there were several ideas that ran throughout all three. The first being that the definition of what health is varies drastically between the indigenous people and Canadians. To many citizens health means taking care of oneself. The common idea is that you will be a more effective member of society if you are healthy. However, indigenous people few health in a very different way. In Lux’s article she explains that indigenous people thought that “individual wellness required community support”[1]. This completely different view of health shows how as a people they do not separate one person from that of the rest of the community. Therefore, it makes it easier to understand how they felt resistant to hospitals that segregated them from there community and holistic medicine. Secondly, throughout all of the readings each one focused on the effect that Tuberculosis has had on the indigenous community. In Kelm’s book she shows the fact that “31 percent”[2] of deaths by diseases were caused by Tuberculosis. This is absolutely astounding and terrifying to see how much the indigenous people of the country suffered under the hands of this terrible disease. In Mosby’s article, he discusses the effects that the different research teams had on individual residential schools. The frightening thing about these studies was the knowledge that the research teams knew that the children were malnourished in these schools, but instead of feeding them properly, they chose to use them as experiments for good health. Now while they may have had intentions on helping the children in some ways, they still let these kids lack some important nutrients in order to test out their hypothesis. It’s interesting how the children responded to the conduct of the research teams. The letters often sounded like they were “spurred by a set of specific instructions from the teacher”[3]. While in reality these children were too frightened to say how they really felt about being poked and prodded and treated like experiments. The overarching thread in all these articles is indigenous health and the way in which their traditional practices influenced their health. Canadian society was trying to push our ways onto the indigenous people. While in some ways this is beneficial, in many ways it makes the indigenous ways of health seem to be inferior. Lux points out that Indigenous people view their health as part of a collective whole, which is something that Canadian society could adopt. Kelm shows the devastating effect that Tuberculosis had on the Indigenous community. Mosby points out that this had a lot to do with their overall health and the fact that many of the children in residential schools were malnourished. In conclusion, these articles show the way in which the Indigenous people of the time handled their health and also how the Canadian government wanted to control this aspect of their lives. This is seen in the hospitals built exclusively for the native people to segregate them from society. It is also present in the research that was done at the residential schools of the time. It’s upsetting that more care was not taken to ensure the health of the indigenous people of Canada.

[1] Maureen Lux, “Care for the ‘Racially Careless’: Indian Hospitals in the Canadian West, 1920-1950s.” The Canadian Historical Review 91, no.3 (September 2010): 411.

[2] Mary Ellen-Kelm, Colonizing Bodies (Vancouver: UBC Press, 1998), 7.

[3] Ian Mosby, “Administering Colonial Science: Nutrition Research and Human Biomedical Experimentation in Aboriginal Communities and Residential Schools, 1942-1952.” Social History 46, no.91 (May 2013): 169.

Bibliography

Ellen-Kelm, Mary. Colonizing Bodies. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1998.

Lux, Maureen. “Care for the ‘Racially Careless’: Indian Hospitals in the Canadian West, 1920-1950s.” The Canadian Historical Review 91, no.3 (September 2010): 407-434.

Mosby, Ian. “Administering Colonial Science: Nutrition Research and Human Biomedical Experimentation in Aboriginal Communities and Residential Schools, 1942-1952.” Social History 46, no.91 (May 2013): 145-172.

Reading Log #1

In Mona Gleason’s article, she discusses the impact that the public health reformation had on indigenous people and children. Gleason focuses primarily in the years between 1890-1930. Although health officials meant well in their interactions with the native community and Asian newcomers they often came across as racist. Health care officials thought there were “unmistakeable connections between Asian newcomers and filth and disease”[1]. What this shows is an inherit superiority that is felt by the health care professionals. In their opinion, their superior knowledge of health and sanitation should be forced upon children and indigenous people in order to make them healthier. These standards were strictly enforced in some schools including one example where a principle “turned the hose on him”[2] while the child screamed “’You’re killing me, you’re killing me’”. Although this example is extreme and horrifying, the motivations were to make children cleaner and thereby prevent disease such as measles and chicken pox. In Myra Rutherdale’s article, she focuses primarily on the impact that missionaries and reformists had on the indigenous communities themselves. Specifically, the process of birthing and bathing. Rutherdale is similar to Gleason in showing specific examples of people who were trying to help the indigenous community but sometimes they did more harm than good. However, this was not always the case some indigenous women accepted the help from Christian missionaries and as a result had a happier and healthier birth. For example, an indigenous woman named Caroline Gibbons refused the help of “’the angakoks and midwives’”[3]. This example shows how some indigenous women accepted the help of Christian missionaries while others like Apphia Awa found her hospital experience “traumatic”[4]. Bathing was also a subject that some children relished and others found utterly terrifying. What both these articles highlight is the fact that the health movement that spread throughout Canada was meant to prevent disease and make a healthier society. However, while this was the case for many people there were many examples of children and women who were traumatized by their experience with this reformation. As a society, the experience that we have had with aboriginals has be strenuous to say the least. Such is the case when looking at the two articles by Gleason and Rutherford.  North American society has always been convinced that their ways are superior to those of the indigenous people. While these articles highlight positive change for indigenous people, the way in which it was approached was incorrect. Instead of trying to convert their ideologies into our own, perhaps it would have been more beneficial to start with an understanding of their culture and show the positive outcomes that modern birthing can have. Similarly, it would be intelligent to show the positive effects a bath has on personal hygiene and health. These articles reflect the values and interactions between two different cultures. It is also a valuable insight into the complex history of health in the early twentieth century.

[1] Mona Gleason, “School Medical Inspection and ‘Healthy’ Children in British Columbia,” Children’s Health Issues in Historical Perspective (2005): 287.

[2] Marlatt and Itter, eds., Opening Doors, 94.

[3] Myra Rutherdale “Children, Health and Hygiene in Northern Canadian Communities,” Children’s Health Issues in Historical Perspective (2005): 307.

[4] Myra Rutherdale “Children, Health and Hygiene in Northern Canadian Communities,” Children’s Health Issues in Historical Perspective (2005): 311.

Bibliography

Gleason, Mona. “School Medical Inspection and ‘Healthy’ Children in British Columbia,” Children’s Health Issues in Historical Perspective (2005): 287-304.

Marlatt and Itter, eds., Opening Doors, 94.

Rutherdale, Maya. “Children, Health and Hygiene in Northern Canadian Communities,” Children’s Health Issues in Historical Perspective (2005): 305-332.