Cosmological Differences In Lia Lee's Case Essay

According to Arthur Kleinman, there is no better doctor-patient relationship than one where both parties are able to answer a set of eight seemingly obvious and simple questions. The key to this dynamic is the ability to answer, not the similarity between answers. The importance of this distinction could have made all the difference in the conflict in Lia Lee’s case. The introduction of eight “golden” rules to consider in health care at the end of Lia Lee’s case allow all parties to self-reflect retrospectively and consider the cosmological differences between Lia Lee’s parents and her doctors. The take-away is to eradicate the cultural term of noncompliance, as this asserts moral supremacy. Additionally, strive for compromise rather than …show more content…
Lia Lee’s parents exemplified this by treating Lia with unending, noticeable affection while in the hospital, due to the importance of respecting ancestors and their spirits’, which Lia embodies. Lia’s parents’ treat Lia’s body as a microcosm of the cosmos, as “the cosmos is conceived as a living unity that is born, develops, and dies on the last day of the year.” (Eliade, 71) In this definition of a body, Lia’s cosmological life is cyclical but physical life is temporary. The cosmological conflict between Lia’s parents and her doctors’ take root in the belief of what the true etiology of the problem is, whether it be an issue of soul or body. The second conflict is then what method of promoting wellness is …show more content…
When asked to speak on the reasoning behind Lia Lee’s parents’ culture and opinion towards traditional medical practices, the California doctors stated that, “men think it is divine merely because they don’t understand it.” (Fadiman, 29) The doctors that cared for Lia believed that the scientific reasoning and diagnosis in Lia’s case was rational and therefore the answer to her problems, while ignoring any other worldviews. This outlook on the human condition diminishes the role of sacred space and the cosmic sense of nature’s ability to heal. Additionally, Eliade describes this thinking as, “the desacralization of the cosmos accomplished by scientific thought.” (Eliade, 51) Just like Hmong culture and Lia Lee’s parents’ beliefs, Eliade describes Western medicine in general, and therefore Lia’s doctors, as making the cosmos profane, or in other words, taking away the sacredness in Lia. By preventing the chaos from entering her life, Lia Lee’s parents are able to maintain the balance of her soul and therefore keep her happy and healthy. The cosmological conflict between Lia Lee’s doctors and her parents is the observation of sacred space and how this relates to