What surprised you in the readings and film?
For many years, Black Americans have complained about prejudice and discrimination in the medical profession. Comparing the black community to other racial/ethnic groups in this country, there is a clear disparity in how well it does in terms of key health indices. Black Americans’ health and healthcare outcomes are far worse than those of white Americans or other minorities in the country. My goal is to investigate the origins of this inequality and determine whether there is a deeper reason for the stark disparity between the healthcare received by black Americans and those from other racial and cultural backgrounds. When I read A Birth Story, I was shocked to read the doctor complaining about having to go down to the labor and delivery unit. Why don’t you just perform a C-section, the doctor asked one of the doctors in front of LeConté and everyone else in the room. I’m not sure how she must have felt at that that time. I was shocked to learn that a doctor told Jessica, a non-binary person, that their fears were unfounded and that it was confusing their gender identity when I read 12 Reasons It Should Be Illegal for Doctors Not to Treat Trans People.
What connections could you find across the readings and film?
In both the readings and the movie, I was able to draw a parallel between how the characters dealt with hardship without losing focus or succumbing to other negative thoughts. In Time. The women in the Indian rural community struggle with the widespread stigma connected with menstruation. In both the book and the movie, people were had to endure painful things because of circumstances beyond their control.
How does the format in which the stories are shared impact your understanding of medical oppression and/or other aspects of gender we have discussed this semester?
Due to the stories’ authenticity and realism, the style in which they are delivered influences how I perceive medical tyranny. Each reading’s characters’ suffering was palpable to me. I was moved to tears when Leconte said she felt invisible and could only speculate as to how she may have felt. It was terrifying for Terra Miller to observe a nurse who was supposed to be taking care of you change her behavior when she realized she was on hormone-related medication. I learned that gender is only skin deep and doesn’t define who you are after hearing these people’s honest, genuine, and real stories. I now believe even more in the acceptance of everyone, regardless of circumstances.
