When Your Patient is a Hmong Refugee, under the American Journal of Nursing, provides guidelines to the medical community in how to effectively understand Hmong patients. To understand this subject, author Betty Rairdan and Zana Rae Higg, conducted interviews with 13 families from five different clans, all refugee families and have resettled in Washington. The families, mentioned many similar ideas that were presented in The Spirit Catches You And You Fall. For instance, all families mentioned the importance of politeness. Under a patrilineal clan, older males would make the decisions. Along the older, Shaman (spiritual leader and healer) would also have authority over decision making when it comes to a person’s illness and procedures. Being polite also comes into play, how a doctor or nurse delivers a bad new. Hmong’s view bad news by mixing it with an element of hope. We see this demonstrated in the book, told numerous times that Lia was going to die, Foua signed for the removal of the meds and IV. Doctor Peggy believed…
The head nurse explained that this patient had taken a fall and was on frequent pain relief. She communicated that this patient’s Indian husband, had been arguing with his wife during visits. When the nurse expressed that the patient had confided in her, I was surprised as my original view of the patient’s culture may be that she wouldn’t feel comfortable discussing personal concerns with others. She expressed guilt for her husband providing for her family, unlike when she was healthy. She stated that her husband had been expressing displeasure at her…
An important theme is cultural understanding. Another is the miscommunication between Hmong immigrants in the US and American doctors. In the first couple chapters, we learn that the Hmong have very different birthing traditions. They believe that people get sick because something had happened to their soul, or because they have come across a dab, or an evil spirit. They have their own medical beliefs and practices which have caused difficulties for the medical staff. “They won’t do something just because somebody more powerful says do it” (71). One important theme in the book was a culture clash. The Hmong like to be left alone, they do not like to be ruled. Most of the power laid on the Western doctors. Lia’s tragedy is an example cultural clash and shows that cultural understanding and cooperation is very important. This book shows that it is important to understand and respect other cultures and their perspective on health and wellness so we can incorporate it in the way we treat those…
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down tells the story of Lia Lee, a Hmong child with epilepsy, whose tragic downfall reveals the dangers of a lack of cross-cultural communication in the medical profession. At the age of three months, Lia had her first seizure caused by the sound of a door being slammed shut, by her older sister Yer. Their parents, Foua and Nao Kao believed that the sound of the door had caused Lia’s soul to flee, they called her illness “qaug dab peg”, which means “the spirit catches you and you fall down”. Though Lia’s parents were concerned about her safety, they also believed her seizures made her special, as they knew many epileptics were chosen to be tvix neebs or shamans. Foua and Nao Kao brought Lia to the Merced Community Medical Center for treatment, but also used traditional healing methods to engage a tvix neeb to call back her soul. They believe in both medical and spiritual methods for their daughters’ treatments, but thought too much medicine could limit the effectiveness of the spiritual healing.…
However, your child’s response to the medication has been quite erratic but the doctor insists that the routine is followed. Not only are you growing frustrated, but you’re losing faith in Native medicine and so you take matters into your hands by reverting to your own cultural practices. This reluctant attitude similarly reflects the case study from Anne Fadiman’s book, The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down, regarding cultural distinctions between the Hmong and Americans in the United States. There is an infinite difference between the Hmong and American biomedical community as the cultural taboos, differing cultural views towards illnesses and weight are perceived differently, which provokes a higher potential for unsuccessful treatment and can lead to preventable devastating…
Treatment is care provided to improve a situation, especially medical procedures or applications that are intended to relieve illness or injury. In the Hmong society, people go to a txiv neeb, a shaman, who is believed to be a “person with a healing spirit” (Fadiman, 1997, p. 21) to cure their illnesses. A txiv neeb knows that to cure an illness you must treat the soul, in addition to the body. This is important to the Hmong because in their society the soul has a great deal of importance. In Anne Fadiman`s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, the Lees, a family of Hmong refugees from Laos, are placed in a difficult situation when their three…
1. In her critique of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Janelle Taylor argues that Anne Fadiman’s portrayal of Hmong culture is problematic. Please explain how Fadiman’s story is problematic. In your discussion, be sure to consider:…
The question of readership plays a large role in the methodology of Fadiman’s novel The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The terminology and language within the novel clearly illustrates that the novel was intended for readers that have grown up surrounded by Westernized influence. The opening chapter of the novel depicts the typical birth methods within Hmong’s traditional beliefs. The language within this chapter specifically implies that readers must already understand modern medicine with Westernized influence for two reasons. First, Fadiman does not give any insight into the “typical” child birthing process to compare Hmong traditions to. Second, Fadiman assumes readers already have sufficient enough insight into modern medicine by using terminology such as “birth attendant” without giving any hints toward what purpose this birth attendant might serve. This first glance into the values of Hmong people is central to the novel’s storyline due to the fact that is illustrates the shockingly different methods of childbirth between the Hmong and Westernized medicine.…
The collision of the two cultures occurred due to their lack of efficient communication and their different understanding of what was causing Lia to have seizures. When it comes to cross-culture treatment and healing patients, there must be compromise in order to treat sick individuals efficiently. Both groups must be able to communicate and agree on a way of treatment. It was the collision of the two cultures that ultimately kept Lia from getting better and instead made her worse. While it is wasn’t necessarily either groups fault, there must be compromise in these situations to insure that patients receive the treatment they…
1.)The Merced Hospital Staff believed Lia suffered from Epilepsy. They believed it translated into Qaug dab peg. What was misunderstood is that quag dab peg were not really perceived as the same thing in Hmong culture as Epilepsy is in western medicine. In the Hmong culture, QDP is believed to be caused by a bad spirit called a dab. It is believed that dabs are responsible for stealing souls and making its victims sick. Epilepsy is recognized by western medicine as a serious neurological condition. Although Epilepsy and Quag dab peg may have the same physical symptoms, the symptoms are interpreted differently by each culture, making the condition two different illnesses requiring two different treatments. In Hmong culture, QDP is perceived as an illness with honor. Seizures are thought of to be evidence that the one experiencing them has powers to perceive things that others cannot see. Someone suffering from the symptoms of QDP are also thought of to be able to facilitate their entry into trance, which is required for them to journey into the unseen realm.…
1. The traditional Hmong birth practices are so different from the birth practices we use here in the United States. Foua’s previous child births before Lia were very different. She gave birth inside her home, with completely no help. She also cut and tied the umbilical cord with a string. Afterwards they buried the placentas as a tradition to their beliefs. Now, with Lia’s birth she was in a public hospital where she was attended by doctors and given medicine. It was also sanitary there, unlike her house. Instead of burying Lia’s placenta, it was incinerated.…
In this essay I will review the question of how the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down exemplifies the techniques of ethnographic research that we have studied in class. Also I will consider the question if there are ways in which Fadiman could have improved her methods to be a better anthropologist. In the essay I will look at the specific methods and techniques that Fadiman utilized. I will discuss where she conducted her research and also cover how she conducted her fieldwork. I suggest Anthropological studies on cultural difference would have a practical application to Lia’s study for the following fact that the Hmong do not completely believe in western medicine.…
The United States is comprised of many cultures within a culture. America is composed of a variety of people who all have different beliefs and traditions, as well as their own unique set of beliefs regarding their healthcare practices. One such group is the Hispanic Americans who have their own very diverse cultural group. As individuals, they are just like anybody else in any other culture. However, it is worthwhile for a nurse caring for someone from this culture to know what their distinct cultural beliefs are. People belonging to a Hispanic cultural group are highly attached to the beliefs and values of their culture and follow them in every aspect of their life (Gallo, 2003). Interestingly, their cultural beliefs even influence the decisions related to their healthcare. Hence, this is the reason why in order to meet their patient’s cultural needs, it’s important for people working in the nursing profession to understand the cultural values, traditions and practices related to the aspect of health and medical care during life transitions. The viewpoint of the Hispanic cultures healthcare practices will be presented through the lens of the Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Assessment Model, in order to define a deeper understanding of their beliefs.…
The collision of cultures is seen through out the story of Lia and her family. Starting in the beginning of Lia’s story the same piece of information was being interpreted by two different cultures in different ways. The Merced Hospital Staff believed Lia suffered from Epilepsy. They believed it translated into Qaug dab peg. What was misunderstood is that quag dab peg were not really perceived as the same thing in Hmong culture as Epilepsy is in western medicine,…
In Anne Fadiman’s book, The Spirit Catches You and you Fall Down is a book about the Hmong people coming to America and how they are treated in the American Health System. This book is an amazing book and is extremely intriguing and helps you learn more about culture sensitivity. This book focuses on culture sensitivity. It talks about a specific family known as the Lee family and how they struggle to communicate their beliefs on treatments. It also focuses on language barriers that are presented by refugees and foreigners. The Lees know their daughter has a serious illness and should be treated, but they are not sure how to administer the drugs the doctor prescribes. This book also provides substantial information on the history of the Hmong…