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Suffering strangers*: The social con...

Boston University.

Suffering strangers*: The social construction of the torture survivor in the American healing community.

Record Type:	Electronic resources : Monograph/item
Title/Author:	Suffering strangers*: The social construction of the torture survivor in the American healing community.
Author:	Culhane, Melissa Ann.
Description:	188 p.
Notes:	Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-10, Section: A, page: 3911.
Notes:	Adviser: Charles Lindholm.
Contained By:	Dissertation Abstracts International70-10A.
Subject:	Anthropology, Cultural.
Online resource:	http://pqdd.sinica.edu.tw/twdaoapp/servlet/advanced?query=3382565
ISBN:	9781109436044

Suffering strangers*: The social construction of the torture survivor in the American healing community.
Culhane, Melissa Ann.

Suffering strangers*: The social construction of the torture survivor in the American healing community. - 188 p.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-10, Section: A, page: 3911.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University, 2009.

Among those who work with refugee populations in the United States, "the healing community", there are inconsistencies in the understanding and definition of the torture survivor, which allow for containment and separation from the chaos of human barbarism in an attempt to work effectively with torture survivors. Derived from the trauma survivor, the construct of the torture survivor is influenced by stigma and simplistic notions of culture. The symbolic dimension of torture as a dark, contagious unknown, threatens ordinary systems of meaning and contributes to the stigmatized role of the torture survivor. Culture is viewed in the healing community as an overly simplistic notion of 'differentness' and cultural competency training, which is de rigueur in the healing community, emphasizes the importance of valuing, but not necessarily understanding, diversity. Qualitative interviews reveal inconsistencies in constructs of torture and trauma and indicate that American-born workers view torture in a sanitized, academic fashion, whereas workers from post-conflict regions describe torture and trauma using more personalized, colorful language. No consistent understanding of the categorization of torture and trauma resulted from the interviews. Quantitative analyses using psychiatric symptom data (PTSD and depression) from Bosnia, Vietnam and Cambodia indicate a unique symptom pattern among torture survivors of an increase in PTSD symptoms (recurrent nightmares, physical and cognitive avoidance) and a decrease in several PTSD symptoms, as well as a decrease in many depression symptoms. These results may suggest increased anxiety and hyperarousal that may suppress depression symptoms. Discriminant function analyses show a moderate ability (70%) to distinguish torture survivor as a separate construct based on symptom endorsement. Analyses also show different symptoms for torture survivors from each country, suggesting a cultural effect on the psychiatric issues of torture survivors. Qualitative interviews reveal symptoms unique to torture survivors that are not assessed in traditional PTSD and depression measures. More research into the unique symptoms of torture survivors is needed, as well as institutional support for some level of anthropological training and frank discussion regarding torture techniques designed to reduce the sanitization of torture throughout healing community working.

ISBN: 9781109436044Subjects--Topical Terms:

212460
Anthropology, Cultural.

Suffering strangers*: The social construction of the torture survivor in the American healing community.
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500 $a Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-10, Section: A, page: 3911.
500 $a Adviser: Charles Lindholm.
502 $a Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University, 2009.
520 $a Among those who work with refugee populations in the United States, "the healing community", there are inconsistencies in the understanding and definition of the torture survivor, which allow for containment and separation from the chaos of human barbarism in an attempt to work effectively with torture survivors. Derived from the trauma survivor, the construct of the torture survivor is influenced by stigma and simplistic notions of culture. The symbolic dimension of torture as a dark, contagious unknown, threatens ordinary systems of meaning and contributes to the stigmatized role of the torture survivor. Culture is viewed in the healing community as an overly simplistic notion of 'differentness' and cultural competency training, which is de rigueur in the healing community, emphasizes the importance of valuing, but not necessarily understanding, diversity. Qualitative interviews reveal inconsistencies in constructs of torture and trauma and indicate that American-born workers view torture in a sanitized, academic fashion, whereas workers from post-conflict regions describe torture and trauma using more personalized, colorful language. No consistent understanding of the categorization of torture and trauma resulted from the interviews. Quantitative analyses using psychiatric symptom data (PTSD and depression) from Bosnia, Vietnam and Cambodia indicate a unique symptom pattern among torture survivors of an increase in PTSD symptoms (recurrent nightmares, physical and cognitive avoidance) and a decrease in several PTSD symptoms, as well as a decrease in many depression symptoms. These results may suggest increased anxiety and hyperarousal that may suppress depression symptoms. Discriminant function analyses show a moderate ability (70%) to distinguish torture survivor as a separate construct based on symptom endorsement. Analyses also show different symptoms for torture survivors from each country, suggesting a cultural effect on the psychiatric issues of torture survivors. Qualitative interviews reveal symptoms unique to torture survivors that are not assessed in traditional PTSD and depression measures. More research into the unique symptoms of torture survivors is needed, as well as institutional support for some level of anthropological training and frank discussion regarding torture techniques designed to reduce the sanitization of torture throughout healing community working.
520 $a *I borrow and modify the term "suffering stranger" from Leslie Butt's manuscript "The suffering stranger: Medical anthropology and international morality" (Med Anthropol. 2002 Jan-Mar; 21(1): 1-24)
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