The main theme in all of these articles was the impact of awareness and how the public needed to be educated on health concerned, but also how society had already constructed certain views on illnesses based on gender.
“Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era” – Patricia Jasen
In Patricia Jasen’s article, “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era,” she discusses the idea that gender has become tightly tied to the issues of diseases such as cancer. Jasen focused on the idea asexuality and the role of maternal health in connection to women getting cancer. It was suggested that mom who did a good job were less likely to get sick, and that goes hand in hand with the societal construction of beliefs surrounding gender and illness. This article focused on the emotional health of the female population, they connect this to the motherhood and maternal health and can be connected to Miele and Clarke’s article titled, “”We Remain Very Much the Second Sex”: The Construction of Prostate Cancer in Popular News Magazines, 2000-2010”, because this article discusses the stereotypes created by society and its connection to diseases such as cancer. Patricia Jasen uses these ideas to expand the broader historiography of cancer as she discusses the evolution of the history of cancer and the different ideas and stereotypes that were connected to gendered ideals.
“The Challenge of Developing and Publicizing Cervical Cancer Screening Programs: A Canadian Perspective” – Mandy Hadenko
Mandy Hadenko discusses the screening processes for cancer in women and it ties into the overarching theme of this week’s readings, of educated the general public on disease and to help them make informed decision about their health, in terms of illness. This article was interesting to read as the information of the screening process and how it has evolved over time and the effectiveness of catching the cancer early enough. This article can be connected to the chapter from Wendy Mitchinson’s book because they both discuss the screening and treatment of cervical cancer in female patients. The idea of cancer being scarier than the actual disease itself was mentioned and this seems to be an idea we still have today. Cancer seems as if it is a really scary word, but in most cases the treatment for particular cancers is not tremendous. It is a socially constructed idea that has followed us through history, which is why this article adds to the greater knowledge of this topic on cancer and the screening process. If the cancer is caught soon enough the treatment and recovery is less invasive. Hadenko expands on the knowledge of screening for cervical cancer in women and strongly suggested that it be available to more women in society. It was also discussed that this disease needs to be made public and all the treatment options should be given to the women of society and they should not feel ashamed.
“A Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat” – Wendy Mitchinson
Wendy Mitchinson discusses the idea of screening and treatment for cancer in women. Although this article was very educational about the treatment options, I found it really odd that surgery was the first resort in some cases instead of the less intensive measures we have today. Today doctors would wait to do surgery until they thought it was absolutely necessary. The change in knowledge and understanding of medical treatment is extremely captivating especially in a disease that takes so many of our loved ones’ lives. The education of treatment and the disease itself are crucial for the publics ability to make informed decisions. Mitchinson discusses how the female body has not always been the focus of doctors’ knowledge, as doctors were primarily male and it was a struggle for women to get into that role, so It would not be shocking to see female bodies as not fully understood. This article can be connected to Mandy Hadenko’s article titled “The Challenge of Developing and Publicizing Cervical Cancer Screening Programs: A Canadian Perspective”, because it discusses the importance of screening for cancer and how the importance of education of women who may be more susceptible to this disease. It was argued that the more the public knows, the more assistance can be given to those who found themselves in trouble. These ideas add to the historiography of this topic because it shows the development of the screening process of testing for cancer.
“”We Remain Very Much the Second Sex”: The Construction of Prostate Cancer in Popular News Magazines, 2000-2010” – Miele and Clarke
With this article looking at the portrayal of cancer in the media and its connection to gender, Miele and Clarke presented a lot of stereotypes constructed by society. They focused on the aspect of masculinity and how prostate cancer was connected to that due to society. Men are presented as strong and capable but when it comes to diseases and sickness such as cancer, their wives or women in their lives take on the responsibly of their health. This is a form of gender construction created in society, women are seen as expected to be caretakers, but as we see in the other articles when women are sick, men are not come to pick up the responsibilities. The stereotypes of that of women and men are very different, cervical or breast cancer in women is viewed differently from men with prostate cancer, as men see prostate cancer as a threat to their masculinity. Whereas, the emotional health of women, and their ability to be a mother, as discussed in the article, “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era” by Patricia Jasen, was connected to the health. This article contains important historical context for the historiography of cancer, it article adds to this topic as it takes the views of the media and shows what society was thinking about at the time in terms of this topic, instead of primarily doctors’ perspectives.
“Potential Adverse Effects of Maternal Alcohol Ingestion on the Developing Fetus and their Sequelae in the Infant and Child” – A.B Morrison, M.O. Maykut
This is an article I plan on using in my research paper as it works well into my idea of arguing that even though pregnancy and childbirth was medicalized and the doctors argued they knew best, they were still trying to understand the effects of alcohol on a growing fetus into the late 70s. It tied well into this week’s readings because it discusses the importance of providing the education needed to help the public make informed discussions about their health. The information about the effects of alcohol on fetuses, was not fully determined, but it was suggested in the article that all women who are of age to have children be presented with the education needed to make the decision. This article can be connected to several articles from this week, because they all discuss the importance of educating the public on health matters. The information in order to prevent or for treatment are important for the public to be aware of. This article also has a connection to another book and quote I plan on using in my paper, and it discusses the idea that alcohol did not have an impact on the growing fetuses, even in the 1960s.
Bibliography
Hadenko, Mandy, “The Challenge of Developing and Publicizing Cervical Screening Programs: A Canadian Perspective,” in Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Ed), Gender, Health and Popular Culture: Historical Perspectives, Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2011: 127 152.
Jasen, Patricia, “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era,” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History, 20, 2 (2003): 265-297.
Maykut & Morrison, “Potential adverse effects of maternal alcohol ingestion on the developing fetus and their sequelae in the infant and child.” Canadian Medical Association Journal (1979) Vol. 120 p. 826-828.
Miele, Richelle and Juanne Clarke, “‘We Remain Very Much the Second Sex’: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular News Magazines, 2000-2010,” American Journal of Men’s Health, 8, 1 (2014): 15-25.
Mitchinson, Wendy, “The Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat,” in Body Failure: Medical Views of Women, 1900-1950, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013: 215-238.