Why Is Biology Inevitably A Snapshot
In the article by Nancy Wexler, we see the idea that "biology is inevitably a snapshot" evolve throughout the entirety of the article in relation to leprosy as a disease in three dominant places India, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria. When reflecting on what this idea means to me, I think of a moment or milestone in biological evolution that is the current societal norm and how that "snap shot" will evolve into a different opinion or "snap shot" in the coming years with new biological advancements. This is not to say that these ideas will only be persuded by biological advancements, in fact, these "snap shots" are arguably more persuaded and formed based on a societal opinion and cultural opinion.
When we look at the three countries that have the
highest infected rates of leprosy, we see major differences in how their societies treat their patients. Starting with India in the 1950s, society rejected and isolated patients with leprosy. This not only effected them personally, but also their families and friends because they infected love on could not be a part of their everyday life. Moving on to Sri Lanka, we see a completely different picture. Although they agree with India, in that biological this disease is contagious they do not treat their lepers any different. The patients continue to get treatment and life their lives as if nothing as changed. Finally, in Nigeria we see a happy medium while although the local people believe the disease is a sin and is a contaminate to the body, they are not afraid of the disease. They preform rituals, and healing methods of their culture to hopefully better the health of their infected but o not participated in what was then modern medicine.
I summarize all of these beliefs of leprosy in the three dominate parts of the world to further prove that "biology is inevitably a snapshot." While in all three countries the biological makeup of the disease remains the same, and they all agree it is contagious contaminate of the human body: if we were to think of the three individual cultural stories as a picture we would see three different outcomes. A frighten community, an accepting community, and a ritualist accepting community all proving that biological the disease is the same, but in this "snap shot" of time they are three different views of leprosy.
When we look at the three countries that have the
highest infected rates of leprosy, we see major differences in how their societies treat their patients. Starting with India in the 1950s, society rejected and isolated patients with leprosy. This not only effected them personally, but also their families and friends because they infected love on could not be a part of their everyday life. Moving on to Sri Lanka, we see a completely different picture. Although they agree with India, in that biological this disease is contagious they do not treat their lepers any different. The patients continue to get treatment and life their lives as if nothing as changed. Finally, in Nigeria we see a happy medium while although the local people believe the disease is a sin and is a contaminate to the body, they are not afraid of the disease. They preform rituals, and healing methods of their culture to hopefully better the health of their infected but o not participated in what was then modern medicine.
I summarize all of these beliefs of leprosy in the three dominate parts of the world to further prove that "biology is inevitably a snapshot." While in all three countries the biological makeup of the disease remains the same, and they all agree it is contagious contaminate of the human body: if we were to think of the three individual cultural stories as a picture we would see three different outcomes. A frighten community, an accepting community, and a ritualist accepting community all proving that biological the disease is the same, but in this "snap shot" of time they are three different views of leprosy.