Journal of Medical Humanities最新文献

This article focuses on the ways in which narrative accounts of loneliness in literature problematize current definitions of this important and yet underexplored determinant of health. I argue that the prevailing conceptualization of loneliness in health research, with a general emphasis on social prescribing, obscures other dimensions of loneliness beyond social connectedness that also need to be accounted for in its definition. Drawing on narrative approaches to health and care and taking as a case study Santiago Lorenzo's Spanish novel Los asquerosos (2018), the article gestures toward a more political-rather than exclusively subjective and relational-reading of loneliness. It shows how the novel's exploration of loneliness as an ambivalent experience of tranquility and disaffection questions whether there is any direct causation between loneliness and aloneness or social isolation, presenting loneliness not so much as a problem or a social pain in need of curing, but as a symptom of a larger structural crisis. The article also reflects on the ability of literary narratives to illuminate, discuss, and ultimately challenge the underlying dynamics of loneliness, raising questions about how we understand these narratives and the type of agency we attribute to them.

Bharatanatyam is a traditional Indian dance form that involves the use of facial expressions and body movements to tell stories. A key aspect of Bharatanatyam is the use of hand gestures, also known as hastas, which are used to communicate with specificity and precision. Hastas are symbols, and along with facial expressions and body movements that are contextually relevant, they help to communicate narratives. I am a neuroscientist and have been immersed in Bharatanatyam for 25 years; true to the tradition of the form that emphasizes lifelong scholarship and immersion, I continue to learn from my gurus and supplement my dance training with the study of Carnatic music and Sanskrit. My journey in creative aging started after losing my mother and witnessing the lack of access to expressive movement that was available to her; for fear of falls, my previously-dynamic mother spent the last three months of her life without leaving the bed or feeling the sunshine on her skin. By using hastas in the context of creative aging, I describe how we can promote the acquisition of new skills, the physical benefits even in the face of arthritis and limited mobility, the ability to ascribe meaning to the gestures, and the capability to form new meanings and new gestures that are contemporary and relevant to the lives of older adults. Above all, we can engage older adults actively in the creation and appreciation of art.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant changes to obstetric care, leading to decreased interactions, heightened medical interventions, and restricted support for birthing individuals, which in turn increased the risk of maternal and infant health concerns. This study investigated how birth stories from individuals who gave birth during the pandemic reflected their relational orientation toward healthcare providers, using Martin Buber's I-It and I-Thou framework and Davis-Floyd's technocratic model of birth as analytical lenses. Based on a phronetic iterative approach, data were gathered at three time points from surveys, focus groups, and interviews with 50 participants. Results revealed that birth narratives often reflected an I-It orientation, with healthcare providers described impersonally as a collective "they." Experiences were characterized by strict protocols, information control, and isolation, forming the mechanized birth. In contrast, stories involving meaningful interpersonal connections with healthcare providers illustrated the preservation of a "normal" birth experience and revealed the dialogical nature of birth and I-Thou orientation, in which relational, humanized care emerged despite pandemic restrictions. Findings emphasize the need for relationship-centered care that prioritizes patient individuality, humanity, and rights, even in times of crisis. Healthcare providers and policymakers should consider balancing technological efficiency with holistic, humanistic medicine, and consider how post-pandemic obstetric care can incorporate philosophical and ethical principles that prioritize relational aspects of birth for improved maternal and infant outcomes.

The intersection of surgical identity and dietary choices remains an underexplored yet profoundly relevant domain in modern medicine. Surgeons, trained to heal through precision and restraint, often overlook the cognitive dissonance between their professional ethos and personal behaviors-most notably, diet. This paper examines the alignment of a plant-based diet with the ethical, cognitive, and performance-driven imperatives of surgical practice. Drawing on theories of professional identity formation and cognitive development, we explore how surgeons internalize values through training yet fail to extend this scrutiny to their own health behaviors. Despite compelling evidence linking plant-based nutrition to improved longevity, cognitive resilience, and reduced burnout, the ingrained habits of US medical training persist into practice, often unchecked. We argue that a paradigm shift-one that reframes dietary choice as an extension of surgical responsibility-can serve as a catalyst for professional reinvention. Furthermore, we analyze the environmental and public health ramifications of meat consumption, positioning the surgeon as both a healer of individuals and a steward of planetary well-being. Through a synthesis of medical literature, ethical inquiry, and personal reflection, we advocate for a reevaluation of dietary norms in surgery. By reevaluating entrenched behaviors, surgeons may unlock new avenues for resilience, coherence, and purpose in their practice.

This article relies upon a multi-year, IRB-approved ethnographic study of a chapter of Threshold Choir, a group that sings for patients on hospice, to forward an analysis of embodied, transpersonal agency. Combining tools of rhetorical analysis, autoethnography, and ethnography, including data from interviews, surveys, and field notes, I demonstrate that when singers offer palliative care by singing to/for hospice patients, the practice seems to affect both patients and singers emotionally as well as physically. The work of Threshold Choir offers a unique opportunity for an empathetic exchange that can decrease discomfort and allow an embodied, transpersonal agency to emerge for Threshold singers and those they sing for at bedside.