Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Anthropology

Social and Cultural Anthropology

Kevin Taylor Anderson

Publication Year
File Type

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Holistic Medicine Not "Torture": Performing Acupuncture In Galway, Ireland, Kevin Taylor Anderson Jan 2010

Holistic Medicine Not "Torture": Performing Acupuncture In Galway, Ireland, Kevin Taylor Anderson

Kevin Taylor Anderson

This article examines how the aesthetic design of clinics and interactive discourse 5 and rituals construct the social reality of acupuncture sessions as a form of holistic medical therapy. Verbal and nonverbal interactions create an appealing medical environment but also help prevent the emergence of undesired counter-realities (e.g., pain, biomedical intervention). Based on observations of acupuncture sessions conducted in Galway, Ireland, I illustrate how 10 ambiance and aesthetic elements of clinics create a complex medico-cultural environment that balances oppositional associations (Western=non-Western, exoticism=convention, medical alterity=medical professionalism). Patients inter- viewed continually referred to acupuncture as a natural and non-invasive form of medical …


Altered States Of Embodiment: Spirit Possession In Ethnographic And Feature Films, Kevin Taylor Anderson Jan 2008

Altered States Of Embodiment: Spirit Possession In Ethnographic And Feature Films, Kevin Taylor Anderson

Kevin Taylor Anderson

Possession and other forms of altered states of embodiment are represented in both feature and ethnographic films, yet result in divergent illustrations. Ethnographic films dealing with possession (a la Rouch, Deren, Adair, Asch) suggest that it is a therapeutic phenomenon, often framed as a means of resistance to dominant socio-political forces. Yet, in feature films the possessed body is rendered as a passive recipient of diabolical forces. In the former case, possession signals empowerment, in the latter disempowerment. In addition to its portrayal as a form of resistance, religious supplicants in such ethnographic films as Rouch’s Les Maitre Fous and …


Towards An Anarchy Of Imagery: Questioning The Categorization Of Films As "Ethnographic", Kevin Taylor Anderson Jan 2003

Towards An Anarchy Of Imagery: Questioning The Categorization Of Films As "Ethnographic", Kevin Taylor Anderson

Kevin Taylor Anderson

No abstract provided.