Week 5 - Zoua Nikki Thao
This weeks theme, "Rethinking the Western Health Services," allows us to engage in interesting conversation that hardly ever takes place. The other articles that discussed electromagnetic radiation brought about something new and seemed out of place to me when it comes to this week's theme. However, I was still able to make a small connection between those articles and the tarot card, "The Devil". Overall, the tarot card is what tied all of the readings together for me.
First off, "Is Wi-Fi in Schools Safe?" by Brian Spero and "Wi-Fi in Schools," by Cindy Russell focus on the harms that electromagnetic fields can have on humans, both physically and psychologically. They discussed how children are exposed to electromagnetic waves daily for hours on ends throughout the year and that research has shown its linkage to things like anxiety. Therefore, the call is for us to monitor our usage of technological devices and to question the effects that electromagnetic radio-waves can have on us. I found it super ironic to be reading these articles off of my computer as I sat in the 24-hour study room using the schools wi-fi and an outlet to charge my phone. However, reading these articles didn't scare me or make me more cautious about potential harm to my body, and to be completely honest, I don't think that it'll affect my usage of technological devices. I connected this the tarot card because it says, "The Devil reminds you to look at your own agency," and this can be applied to how I may personally choose to change my consumption and usage patterns of electromagnetic waves.
"You Are Here," by Parameshwaran Ramakrishnan discussed the ways in how to successfully integrate the spirit realm with modern medicine to produce things such as, clinical chaplaincy, which can greatly help patients. This form of rethinking and addressing health allows patients to be in turn with themselves, which can validate their sense of being human. I believe that the western approach to many mental illnesses and health in general can be very dehumanizing for an individual. That is why I believe the tarot card fit so well with this week's theme because western health services can be seen as a hidden evil in our imperialist, capitalist society, which continues to "deny full personhood for [ourselves] and others." A question I have for this week is, when can a conspiracy theory be taken too far, and how do we make others believe in our theories?
Works Cited:
Brian Spero. "Is Wi-Fi in schools Safe? Putting EMF Exposure on Your Radar of Potential Health Risks."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/us/20shaman.html
Parameshwaran, R. "You are Here: Locating 'Spirituality' on the Map of the Current Medical World"
First off, "Is Wi-Fi in Schools Safe?" by Brian Spero and "Wi-Fi in Schools," by Cindy Russell focus on the harms that electromagnetic fields can have on humans, both physically and psychologically. They discussed how children are exposed to electromagnetic waves daily for hours on ends throughout the year and that research has shown its linkage to things like anxiety. Therefore, the call is for us to monitor our usage of technological devices and to question the effects that electromagnetic radio-waves can have on us. I found it super ironic to be reading these articles off of my computer as I sat in the 24-hour study room using the schools wi-fi and an outlet to charge my phone. However, reading these articles didn't scare me or make me more cautious about potential harm to my body, and to be completely honest, I don't think that it'll affect my usage of technological devices. I connected this the tarot card because it says, "The Devil reminds you to look at your own agency," and this can be applied to how I may personally choose to change my consumption and usage patterns of electromagnetic waves.
"You Are Here," by Parameshwaran Ramakrishnan discussed the ways in how to successfully integrate the spirit realm with modern medicine to produce things such as, clinical chaplaincy, which can greatly help patients. This form of rethinking and addressing health allows patients to be in turn with themselves, which can validate their sense of being human. I believe that the western approach to many mental illnesses and health in general can be very dehumanizing for an individual. That is why I believe the tarot card fit so well with this week's theme because western health services can be seen as a hidden evil in our imperialist, capitalist society, which continues to "deny full personhood for [ourselves] and others." A question I have for this week is, when can a conspiracy theory be taken too far, and how do we make others believe in our theories?
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| "A CULTURAL APPROACH Va Meng Lee, a Hmong shaman, performs a ceremony intended to summon the runaway soul of Chang Teng Thao at Mercy Medical Center in Merced, Calif." |
Works Cited:
Brian Spero. "Is Wi-Fi in schools Safe? Putting EMF Exposure on Your Radar of Potential Health Risks."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/us/20shaman.html
Parameshwaran, R. "You are Here: Locating 'Spirituality' on the Map of the Current Medical World"
Russell, Cindy M.D. “Wifi in the Schools: Are We Playing It Safe With Our Students”.
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