Kylie Marais (Mentor)
Masters student in Practical Anthropology at the University of Cape Town. Member of the Anthropology of the First 1,000 Days of Life project and interested in the social lives of women and children.
Location Cape Town, South Africa
Activity
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Thank you for your kind words, Susan! Just as medical humanities seeks to provide a more holistic view of illness, so too did this course attempt to provide a holistic and interdisciplinary understanding of life, death, and everything in between. So glad you enjoyed it!
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That is so wonderful to hear, Sarah! Thank you, and well done for completing all six weeks of the course.
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What do you mean by "different disciplines", Tatyana?
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Shelley Bone
Thank you for the positive feedback on this video, Shelley! I hope you enjoyed the rest of the videos as well.
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I am glad to hear that you found the video helpful, Rebecca! I, too, love the idea of donating to science, however, I find that families often play a large role in determining what happens to the body after death. How did your family react when your grandmother made her decision to leave her body to science? How do you think her decision will affect the...
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Thank you for sharing, Alan; these are such great points! As an anthropologist, I particularly appreciate what you said about challenging assumptions related to medical interventions. It is so crucial to unpack these subjectivities and assumptions about life/death that differ between patients, family members, doctors, etc. Are these practices that you mention...
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Julie Draper
Thank you for sharing these personal experiences, Julie. From what I can tell, you have a very respectful view of death, but how would you describe your relationship with death? What does death mean for you as a doctor/person?
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Annette B.
What an eery, yet beautiful statement! Thank you for sharing the link with us, Annette.
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Thanks for sharing, Sarah! I am interested to know more about the "greener" funerals. Could you explain a bit more about that? What kind of coffins would be used instead of wooden ones? I also love the ritual of lighting a candle on their birthdays. Is this something you started on your own or has the ritual existed in your family before?
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Thanks for sharing these very informative links with us, Caroline! Medical humanities certainly offers a new way for us to work though these complex ideas about life and death, but particularly helps to undo how biomedicine has medicalized the way we think about death.
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I completely agree, and what a wonderful idea you're proposing, Ana! Memorials are beautiful ceremonies that allow for reflection and celebration of the deceased's life. Can you think of any rituals that can be adopted or implemented?
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Thank you for sharing your touching story with us, Julie! It is amazing to hear how you were able to use your personal experiences of death to shape your own practices as a medical practitioner. Your patients must have truly benefitted from your more "humanistic" approach to dying and death.
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Thank you for sticking through the whole course, Anna! Sending strength and love to both you and your daughter during this testing time.
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That's a very profound statement, Marlene! I've always seen death as the one connection that all humans share. At the same time, I find it incredible how, as humans, we can never truly prepare ourselves for the emotional pain that is associated with death (of a loved one), even though we know it is inevitable.
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That's great to hear, Lyn! As long as we remain open-minded, we will always have more knowledge to learn.
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Great point that you have raised, Mary! "Silent language," as you refer to it, is so crucial in conveying messages and communicating effectively. This is evident in text messages, which are often so ambiguous and difficult to understand without "silent language" to guide us. To that I say, thank goodness for emoticons!
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Very interesting, Madeleine. What was it about your mother that made you believe she was a French Jewess?
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Sarah Dobbs
Thanks for sharing this example, Sarah. It makes me wonder to what extent doctors and surgeons can truly "know" what discomfort or pain really feels like. In other words, how many surgeons actually underwent the surgeries that they are qualified to perform? How would they know what it truly "feels" like?
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I really like the idea of using your senses to diagnose your patients. It makes me think of the notion of "sensescapes," which is defined by anthropologist, David Howes, as "the idea that the experience of the environment and of the other persons and things which inhabit the environment, is produced by a particular mode of distinguishing, valuing and combining...
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Very well said, Susan! What are some of the different approaches that you think medical practioners can use to improve their understanding and diagnoses of patients?
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Thank you for the many examples you offer, Sandra! I personally learned about memes, which operate like genes, but that transfer cultural components from one person to another. Memetics, from what I learned, would therefore be responsible for why many cultures share similar ideas and practices. Susan Blackmore (2000) writes about this in "The Meme Machine".
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Louise Reeds
What a wonderful comparison you offer between languages and living organisms, Louise -- and just as organisms have a genetic basis, so does language.
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Mike Brightley
These lyrics are so fitting! Thanks for sharing, Mike.
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Good point, Elaine! There have been too many reports about children being neglected and isolated at an early age. As humans, we learn, mainly through imitation, how to become "social beings" and when people aren't available to imitate, learning becomes difficult to impossible.
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Great point, Margaret! On a personal level, I was always convinced that we needed to "choose" between nature OR nurture in order to explain certain social phenomena. This may be because the idea is expressed as nature VERSUS nurture, but they surely do complement each other significantly and can certainly occur simultaneously.
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That is great to hear, Adele. What area of the arts/language were you working or studying in? Looking forward to see how your experience relates to this week's topic.
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I completely agree, it really is an exciting and very unique opportunity. Enjoy this week, Zainab!
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Using Gerard's distinction between the two kinds of 'best ideas' (see his comment below), it seems like you're a problem-solver and fall into his first category; however, rather than "chewing over [your problem] for quite some time," you seem to be more motivated and driven by the urgency of the matter. I am curious though, what do you do in the cases where...
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Thanks, Gerard for sharing this useful distinction between the two kinds of 'best ideas'! I now can't help but analyse everyone else's comments based on your two categories.
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I can certainly relate, Louise! Do you find that talking to another person is more beneficial or is it enough to merely "talk to yourself" (share your thoughts out loud) in order to achieve that eureka moment?
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Mary, this is an excellent point you raise, as it returns to the importance of medical humanities. The need for medical professionals to listen to the (subjective) experiences of patients, including their partners (as you pointed out) or other family members, is not only crucial for making better sense of the problems at hand, but also enables holistic...
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Thank you for sharing your story, Susan. And thank you for the feedback, too! I agree that some topics are too complex to merely summaries or simplify, but that is why (for me at least) it is so great to read everyone's comments and gain deeper insight into the diverse perspectives of others. The example of your son offers a positive ending to a story of IVF...
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Great question, Ben! From an anthropological perspective, I would argue that having some context is better than not having any at all. There have been far too many (development) innovations/projects that have failed because they did not consider the context before implementation. Perhaps we do not need to know "everything" before we act, but should at least...
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Thank you for sharing this tip with us, Elena! Great advice from your supervisor!
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It is wonderful that you were able to transform your negative experience into a positive one, Jyoti. Not only were you able to tap into your own creativity and heal yourself, but you were able to help others as well.
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Very true, Sin! Sometimes we just need some time (and space) away from our art/work to see things in a different light.
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Thanks for sharing, Delia. This is an interesting example of a gendered innovation. Do you perhaps know whether the 900 sheds are exclusively or primarily used by men today? Are women allowed to use the sheds when they get bored or want to be creative?
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An excellent example of both ingenuity and initiative, especially in South Africa where quality service delivery is not gaurenteed for all. Thank you for sharing, Louise!
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Thank you for sharing this example, Hazel! It is amazing how the smallest actions can have the greatest impact.
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This is wonderful to hear, Sandra! I trust the remaining weeks will have an equally positive impact on you. Enjoy!
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Elaine Walker
You raise a very good point, Elaine! As an only child, I can relate -- play can certainly take place alone. When I think of art, I tend to imagine the artist exploring his or her ideas in solitude, and often wonder whether certain art pieces were created from the experience of playing alone or playing (collaborating) with others.
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Sin m Chong-Martin
These are all excellent questions, Sin! I suppose since all art is subjective, the way art is "valued" would differ from person to person. As such, I would imagine that the cave man would have found our "advanced" technological devices as fascinating and as artistic as we still find their cave paintings to be today. If anything, the cave men laid the...
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Great example, Martin! In this case, not only do pets help demonstrate the importance of play in staying healthy, but they get us involved in their play time, which forces us to be active and to play as well. My cat surely reminds me to play at least once a day!
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Thank you so much for sharing this information and link with us, Gerard! Such an excellent point you have raised, and very crucial now when we're trying to understand the link between play and health.
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Beautifully said, Marlene!
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Hi Kathryn,
You are allowed to share the video beyond the course -- as long as the author is credited, it is not used for commercial purposes, and it is passed along as a whole video.
I hope this helps!
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Thank you for asking, Kathryn! I am not sure, but I will forward your question to one of the course administrators and will get back to you with an answer as soon as I can.
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Thank you for sharing these links with us, Mark! The song sadly couldn't play on my end, but I read the lyrics. They are so beautiful and very fitting!
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It is certainly never too late to get your wings back! Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Penny. Very motivating and inspiring!
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Thank you for your comment, Ilne! It is wonderful to hear that Malika's words had such a positive impact on you. Enjoy the rest of the course!
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This is so great to hear, Natalie! It is especially interesting to see how parents experience play as a relaxing activity, allowing for reflection. If I may ask, what line of work are you in?
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Thank you for your comment, Sue. The example of your parents clearly demonstrates the powerful connection between play and well-being. As a nurse, what were some of the things you did with the older patients to get them to play and laugh again?
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
Great questions, Haruyo! The Children's Radio is one of the many approaches towards making medicine more "humanistic". It allows medical professionals to go BEYOND their medical responsibilities of diagnosing and healing patients (children or adults) with medication. Art, whether through painting or singing or storytelling, allows the patient to be heard and...
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That is so wonderful to hear, Linda! Thank you for your comment.
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Thank you for these excellent comments, Vicky! I particularly liked what you said about hospitals settings perpetuating hierarchies. I can only imagine how wide that gap must seem between a child "down there" and the doctors and nurses "up there". With that said, allowing children to speak, and more importantly, to be heard, not only reduces the children's...
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What a wonderful idea, Eliza! Those children were certainly fortunate to have had Kate listen to them during her research period. Having people (even volunteers) visit children's hospitals just to listen to their stories (and possibly take notes that can then be passed onto the doctors and nurses) will really help to improve the care that children receive.
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As an educator, Claire, what are some of the things you personally do to overcome these issues?
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Thank you for your comment and questions, Barbara! You are so right, combining science and art offers wonderful healing opportunities, but there are many ways that this can be done without chucking out or barring any doctors or nurses!
I would say that if medical professionals do not possess the innate ability or musicality themselves, then perhaps one...
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Thank you for sharing that lovely story, Julie. Those children were truly lucky to have had someone care for them the way you did. You went beyond your medical responsibilities and offered them a more humanistic form of healing.
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A wonderful point that you raise, Manuel! While I certainly agree with you, I would imagine that language and communication in general would be a great challenge, with children struggling to articulate their spiritual feelings and thoughts, and adults (e.g. medical doctors) being hesitant or reluctant to listen to versions of life that are less biomedical and...
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Thanks for the comment, Gerard! You certainly earned that "qualification" -- well done and congratulations to your daughter!
Regarding the children's hospitals in Ireland, what are some of the attractive features that are present? Has the hospital environment changed a lot since you were a child?
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Thank you for your comment, Deborah. I really like how you described the children's reasons and experiences of healing as goal-orientated; i.e because they want to play with their toys and friends, etc. But perhaps during their time of sickness, and especially because of the children's goals, the sickness could become an opportunity for transformation. For...
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Thank you for your comment, Sheree! I am sorry to hear how negatively the experience impacted you. At the same time, your example offers evidence of exactly how and why it is so important to pay attention to young children in order to avoid having them distrust the medical system in the future as well. Thank you again.
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Welcome to the course, Mythili!
Your experience as an art teacher certainly sounds like a form of therapy, even if you disagree. It may have been that your art provided some form healing for the clients? What forms of art did you teach at the clinic?
Enjoy the next six weeks!
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That is certainly one aspect of medical humanities, Rowanna! I tried to break the concept down for Paula in the comment below. It is still not a full description of medical humanities, but provides some examples, which I hope helps a bit. Enjoy the rest of the course!
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Thank you for the question, Paula!
Depending on your context, perhaps one way to think about it is that when a patient enters a doctor's office or hospital, the patient's physical body is typically (but not always) reduced to biological components. The patient's emotions, feelings or (cultural) beliefs are rarely taken into consideration during diagnosis....
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Excellent points raised, Nicholas! I especially liked what you said about clinical relationships and "system driven pressures". This makes me think of the public healthcare system in South Africa, which remains poorly resourced, yet serves the majority of low-income citizens. As such, with the pressures of assisting MANY patients in any given day, clinical...
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Welcome, Gina! I am curious, have you managed to combine your interests in midwifery and art in anyway? Enjoy the course!
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Welcome to the course, Caroline! Also, thank you for sharing the link with us. The charity sounds like it does very meaningful work in your community. We look forward to learning more about it over the next few weeks.
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Welcome to the course, Hanny! We hope you enjoy the course over the next few weeks.
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Welcome, Sheree! We look forward to learning from your vast amount of experience in the weeks to come. Enjoy the course!
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Welcome to the MOOC, Linda! Each speaker in this course offers a unique and interesting perspective towards understanding medical humanities, which I am sure you will find useful. Enjoy!
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Welcome to the course, Isabel and Sheree! You essentially summed up the essence of medical humanities with your beautiful explanation, Isabel! Where did you study your degree in Humanistic Sciences? The degree sounds fascinating!
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Welcome back, Agnes! I trust the MOOC discussions will be just as (if not more) interesting this time around.
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Thank you for the positive feedback and suggestion, Helen! We're so glad you found the course rewarding.
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Robert Wilcox
Brilliantly said, Robert! Thank you for your many wonderful suggestions and contributions throughout this course! Here's to hoping that Medical Humanities gains the attention and praise that it deserves.
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It is wonderful to hear that you had such a positive experience with the course and that you were able to learn from everyone! Thank you for your participation in the course, Rose.
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You're very welcome, Teresa! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the course.
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Helen Swingler
Beautifully said, Helen! I particularly like the line: "The metaphysical aspects attached to the soul are harder to dissect or heal." Human beings are truly complex in that, even with the inevitability of death, the process of dying and what happens thereafter has a profound impact on the families and loved ones that remain behind. Death can thus be a painful...
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Very interesting point raised, Beryl. On a personal note, do you view donating organs to science and donating organs for transplant reasons as two different or similar ideas? Perhaps one reason for donating ones body or organs to science is derived from wanting to feel like you are helping or making a difference (whether in someone else's life or in the future...
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Boitumelo, thank you for offering such a wonderful and very thorough reflection of the role of sociology in dying and medicine in general. Given what you have outlined, do you personally think that a sociological perspective is the best one to employ when trying to make sense of dying and the role of medicine?
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Mary T,
This exhibit looks incredible! Thank you for sharing the link, Mary. Looking forward to browsing through it!
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Sounds like a very interesting research project that you conducted, Jonathan! What were some of the methods you used during your fieldwork? How many funerals were you able/allowed to attend?
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It is great to hear that this particular video had such a positive impact on you, André! Also, thank you for the feedback.
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Teresa, great point raised about the void that death leaves behind. In my own experience, while I am aware and "at peace" with the idea of death, it is so easy to acknowledge and accept that I will die someday, yet so difficult to accept that my loved ones will die.
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Fascinating ideas that you have shared here, Patti! Could you please explain what "death cafes" are all about?
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Thank you for sharing that experience, Ian. I am curious to know how your felt after the patient told you that about her sister? Did it change your perspective of the corpses you worked with or did you continue seeing them as "things" and "work projects"?
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That's an interesting proposal, Lily. Taking on an archaeologist's point of view will definitely help reduce the concern we all have about dying and help us understand and appreciate the fragility and meaning of human existence.
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Thanks for sharing the link, Jenny -- this is a very interesting take on "global" symbols.
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Great point, Nicky! We often assume that metaphors would be easier to understand because it allows us to "simplify" complex ideas by using "common" or "everyday" comparisons, but we tend to forget that differently people learn differently. In that case, what methods do you use when trying to explain complex ideas to your son?
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Very true, Heidi! Could it therefore possibly be said that having faith in science is similar to having faith in religion, in that we believe without necessarily "seeing"?
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This sounds like a very interesting practice, Tamuka! Are you from Zimbabwe? Were you able to use totemism to trace your own origins?
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I can certainly relate to that, Sara! In South Africa, I am classified as "Coloured", which means that my ancestry consists of many different ethnic groups (both local and foreign) -- you can read more about the "Coloured" identity here if you would like: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coloured -- yet, my surname ("Marais") is French and when I visited Paris...
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Laurie, you raise an excellent point about time restrictions on doctors appointments. Much more time is needed to fully understand patients' ailments, especially if their illnesses/diseases are of the mind and not the physical body; however, time is particularity scarce in poorer or under-resourced medical facilities where far too many patients need to be...
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I just watched the trailer to that documentary on YouTube; it looks very cool! Thanks for sharing, Andrea!
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Thanks for sharing that very informative link, Tamene! I love what you say about there being "no pan-Ethiopian tradition" when it comes to funerals. The link plus your comment truly demonstrates that, despite the inevitability of death, the way we respond to it varies as much across different cultures as it does within specific cultures.
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Dorothy, your post clearly demonstrates the wide range of shapes that "funerals" can take; constantly changing to meet the needs of loved ones and the demands of time. Also, I had never heard of "sky burials" before -- what a fascinating ritual! Thank you for sharing the link too!
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That sounds like such a beautiful ritual, Emily! Thank you for sharing the idea. Do you perhaps know how or when this ritual first started?
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Firstly, Duncan, I am so sorry for your loss. Funerals are very important for paying respect to the departed loved ones, and not only were you able to show respect towards your departed wife, but you were also able to show respect towards your two families by combining your different cultural rituals.
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Kylie Marais (Mentor) replied to Minga Kongo
Minga, you have raised a number of very interesting points! I particularly liked that you said about the perception of death and the fact that its impact on people is dependent on the state of the country (war vs peace). At the same time, I suppose that death will also be perceived differently depending on professions; for example, death for a cremator and...
