Become a wheelchair, an American anthropologist's autobiography: the only disability is to give up prematurely

"Silent Body -The Extraordinary World of Relaxing People", [US] Robert F. Murphy translated by Xing Haiyan Editor: Chu Detian Shanghai Education Publishing House published in August 2022, published in August 2022

[Introduction] Professor Murphy is a well -known anthropology professor at Columbia University. After unloading the head of the department in 1972, he suffered from spinal cord swelling and sat on the wheelchair, but he still insisted on recording himself from a sound person to disability All the processes and minds of a person published "The Body Silent" in 1987, "The Body Silent". Policies and health people have criticized the blame of people with disabilities, and encouraged everyone to cherish and awe of their lives. Shanghai Education Press published a Chinese translation a few days ago, and was authorized to edit the book. According to the statistics of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, as of 2022, China has 85 million disabled people, accounting for 6.2%of the total population. As an important part of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the cause of the disabled is being improved in a full range, and the institutional advantage is emerging.

The news of Murphy's death was published in American newspapers, which affected many disabled people.

The study of disability is a unique window. It can be seen from the struggle between individuals and society, because disabled people are not a special group, but a metaphor for human conditions. The disability can show the nature of naked humanity.

The independence and isolation of the surgical failure made me face the reality: treating death as a gift of life

Like countless other people, I feel the self -update in the recovery process after surgery. It is an extremely normal aspect in psychology and social process. I was reborn and returned to this world. My depression disappeared due to the healing of the disease, and my body and mind became complete again. The real world is where we work and reproduce, and we must return forever. In fact, just five days later, I experienced serious recurrence of condition, and returned to the "real" world from the threshold state caused by my own surgery.

That is, in these months, I started to think seriously, although this is not the first time. I accepted a simple fact: death is not a state of existence at another level, but nothing. My contemplation of death directly originated from the life that is isolated from the world in a wheelchair, which brings me a feeling of being isolated and isolated.

Anthropology makes me a "Voyeur" to all things of human beings, and makes me realize their elusive beauty and fleeting. Living is fun enough, I decided to re -integrate into this world. My attitude towards life and life has changed during the sick period. I started to treat every day, every week, every month, and each year as a gift. Since then, I have started to live in the moment. Every day is my life, and every birthday is a miracle. I speculate that my situation will always deteriorate, and death will come as a gift, so I no longer be afraid of death and treat it as an old friend.

Back to the alma mater for teaching award: like the "passing ceremony" of re -integrating into the university

The first time I went out was in March this year, when I won the Mark Van Doren Teaching Award of my alma mater Columbia University. This award was awarded at a critical moment of my rehabilitation, and it directly affected my psychological changes in the most vulnerable period.

This dinner is also an opportunity for me to re -integrate into the society, it seems to be related to a certain ceremony. It does play the role of "rite of passage". According to Arnold Fan Genp's terms, "through rituals" refers to the name of those rituals, marking a transition from a social identity to another social identity. From boys to men, from girls to women; from single to marriage, from life to death, and my ritual has witnessed the reappearance of me as a disabled person in public. In such an event, there will be a simple recruitment meeting as always. Everyone eats while eating at the party. The participants are people who have interacted when I have a professor. The principal of Columbia University, the dean of the college, all human scholars, and many graduate and undergraduate students were present. My wife and children also attended the dinner. There are many people present, and the audience's response is even more enthusiastic than expected.

I soon realized that at this awards conference, rather than being praised as a teacher, it was better to say that I was reported to be cheered as a survivor. In any case, everyone's emotions are sincere, and I feel that I have been integrated into the university again. Although my body has changed, at this ritual gathering, as soon as I saw the past colleagues, the uneasiness in my heart was greatly relieved. However, I also realize that not all rituals can eliminate the stigma of my new identity.

Early book "Women in the Jungle" and silent body "English version cover (right)

Become a wheelchair: Lost part of the self because of the limitation of the body, the loss of self -esteem is the "cancer" of the mind

From the first diagnosis of tumors, to the time of starting the wheelchair life, I became more aware that I lost not only a sound legs, but also part of myself. Not only does people treat me different, but more importantly, I feel different about myself. Despite the strong support of many relatives and friends, I still feel lonely and gap. Even worse, everything I used to have gradually decreased. This is particularly frightening for a poor child to stand up to a foothold and move towards a respected successful person. The relationship between people with damaged people and basic health is very problematic. Indeed, some of them are due to the persistence, prejudice, confusion, etc., but they cannot blame this. People with disabled may also misunderstand the meaning of the meaning of physical function. More complicated, the disabled people also entered the social stage with a solution perspective. The disabled people have not only changed their bodies, but their views on themselves, people and things in the outside world have also changed deeply. They experienced a variant, and their consciousness changed dramatically.

In all psychological syndrome related to disability, the most common and destructive is the fundamental loss of self -esteem. This sense of self -damage is called "stigma" or "damaged identity" by Owen Goffman. In the first few months I was in a wheelchair, this sense of loss became greater. Returning will only damage the subjective emotions of people with disabilities, further reduce his self -worth, and emotional will be ashamed.

The heart of disabled people has changed, and the redundancy of society has changed to a quasi -human thing. In just a few months, I cleverly moved from the center of society to the edge. I got a new identity that depends on my physical defect, which either damages my previous requirements for personality or fundamentally changed my previous requirements for personality. When I was middle -aged, I became a low energy, which was the fate of most disabled people. They are tortured by physical diseases, and this disease has become a "cancer" in mind, and social relations will also be pathological. The basic conditions for their survival in the world have changed, and they have become exotic people locally and even become exiles.

Owen Goffman's 1963 book "Stronger -Damaged Identity Management Notes"

Scholars analyze the prejudice of American society: stigma, vague people, American ideal betrayal

The newly paralyzed disabled person faces the world with the incomplete body and a new identity, which will make him return to society to the subtlety and endurance. In the United States and many other countries, the prejudice of disabled people and the derogation of their social status have been commonplace. The most extreme performance is their avoidance, fear and naked hostility. Just as Owen Goffman wrote in his book "Pigment -Damaged identity management notes" in 1963, as the disabled persons with criminals, people of some ethnic minorities and races, mental patients, etc. They are in a lower social status. If a person wants to fully participate in the society, the biggest obstacle is not his physical defects, but a series of fiction, fear and misunderstanding added by society.

Like his wheelchair, the culture that the American disabled must face is part of his disabled environment. Obviously, disabled people have violated the young, masculine, vitality and beauty values ​​that Americans cherish, regardless of whether they are individuals and collectives, although most people rarely realize these values. Most disabled people, including myself, feel that others hate disabled people for this, thinking that they are the ideal destroyers of the United States, just like the poor of the poor as the betrayal of the American dream. People are afraid of us, they live in a fake paradise, and they are also fragile. We represent a terrible possibility. The psychological mechanism that makes people with disabilities particularly threatened is the psychological mechanism of projection and identity. Through this mechanism, people attribute their feelings, plans and motivations to others, and incorporate others' feelings, plans and motivations into their own feelings.

Owen Gofman's "stigma" research has a huge impact on the social science of disability because it provides a universal framework. Within this framework, the disabled, criminals, and certain minority groups have a common destiny: they are all outsiders and are deviated from social norms.

For advice from the disabled, we will practice outside the safety distance. We donate to the United States Birth Defect Foundation and Muscle atrophy Society, or throw coins from the beggar's cup. In this way, people with good health can soothe their conscience and do not need to be too close. They emphasize the separation of the disabled and their completeness through charity. These contradictory goodwill and rejection have made "how to treat disabled people" a huge stage of conflict of values.

Anthropologist Victor Turner (right) and anthropologist Mary Douglas (left)

Anthropologist Victor Turner wrote an article entitled "Betwix and Between", which accurately and concise described the vague position of disabled people in American life. People with disabled are neither ill nor health; neither death nor lively; neither break away from society nor fully integrates into society. They are humans, but their bodies are distorted or functional disorders, which have questioned their integrity of human nature. Patients have been in a social interruption before the condition has improved, and the disabled person is in a similar suspension state. They are neither fish nor birds; they are in a state of being relatively isolated by society as a non -defined person. According to the research report, this uncertain quality and this deviation of normal existence have led to the general disgust of people observed by researchers. Anthropologist Mary Douglas wrote in her 1966 book "Cleaning and Danger" that cultural symbolism divides the traditional reality into neat categories, and in many cultures, deviating these neat classifications will be considered dangerous Essence

In the disabled group, the status is equal, so they will seek long -term companionship

In the rehabilitation group of the hospital in the hospital, people's previous identities were deprived and downgraded to the state of the "patient". Anyone who stayed in these institutions for a while knows that patients are usually equal. Social identity differences.

There is also this equal position among the disabled outside the hospital. In the past ten years, I have participated in many disabled people organizations and attended countless meetings. I was surprised by the universal equal atmosphere. Although I am often the oldest people present, I am always in the most prestigious position, this equality has extended to me. No one calls me "doctoral", "professor", and even "sir"; they only call their names. I have more understanding of disability than most people. This fact has received some respect, but this does not bring me much authority. In fact, I often find out that people are dismissive of many of my views -this is a blow to a person who is accustomed to letting the audience say to every word he said.

As a disabled person, the common identity covers our previous age, education and career level, and has also eliminated many gender character obstacles. I noticed this for the first time when I received physical therapy in 1976. At that time, I was introduced to a young woman who was paralyzed in her legs. I immediately asked her: "How is your treatment progress?" She replied, "I cried many times recently." I went on to say, "I can't cry at all, I can't cry, That would be worse. "This was a spontaneous communication. Later, I realized how unusual conversations it was. Did I really say this to a lady who I just met? Later, when I was hospitalized in the rehabilitation floor, I was arranged in a room with three ladies. This approach to the procedure of traditional hospitals is because there are too many people in the hospital, and there are problems with time arrangements. But none of us inpatients felt uneasy. Because none of us can get up from the bed independently, if I or one of the ladies can harass others, it is a miracle.

As a limited person, the disabled can face each other as a complete individual, and is not affected by social differences, and they often show some amazing facts to the other party. After they overcome the initial dislike (this will only increase their isolation), many people began to seek each other's companionship, which is usually carried out by adding to the organization of disabled people. Then they found friendship and escape from escape. Affairs in the edge world.

American myths admire personal heroes, getting rid of dependence is the goal of hard work of the disabled

In our American mythology, independent individuals bring order, justice and wealth. Heroes are a native image that exists from group life and culture, and at the same time, he has made the group a whole. He represents a dream that has an independent power and the ability to change others without being influenced by others. There is no doubt that disabled people are typical American anti -heroes.

Stills of the American movie "Lambo", shaped the Rambo returned from the Vietnam Warfield, could not integrate into the society and became a heroic hero, and became a lonely hero.

In the culture of the United States and many other countries, the lack of autonomy and one -way dependence on others will reduce people's social status. Most children in society will share and benefit from the socialization process, and to a certain extent to make them independent. Getting rid of dependence has always been the central goal of the political movement of disabled people, and many disabled people have discovered their possibilities through their own efforts.

For example, we encountered two young women during the study period, and they lived in a barrier -free apartment in retired housing projects. One of the ladies caused physical disability due to spinal cord injury, and her hands were severely shrinking, but the strength of her upper body was very good. Another lady with cerebral palsy has moderate speech disorders, and the function of arm and hands is very limited. Although both ladies use wheelchairs, they have completed college studies. They used to live in the dormitory and are now renting an apartment. The two of them have a van each, they can shop and cook themselves to meet their due needs. Women with cerebral palsy can't hold the tableware, and another lady helps to feed. It is not just a feasible life arrangement. It also shows to the world that physical damage does not necessarily damage the dignity and integrity of people, and may even enhance them. The only disability of the disabled is to give up prematurely, this is the premature death of life

All of us are losing ourselves and losing others, between the hearts of the world and returning to ourselves, swaying between life and death. Many disabled people have succeeded and live in his shadow forever. This is a premature death of life, but this is also a large number of disabled people who have lost music, and their only disability is to give up prematurely.

However, the power of life -from the Evolia, hunger, searching, and self -confidence, it is strong, and millions of people are in all stages of physical weakness, getting rid of the restraint and despair attraction of dependence and despair. Power, try to enter the society that has stopped judging their human nature. Through interconnection and participation, they refused to impose restrictions on them and the construction of their identity. They are one of the great struggles to promote our dignity and freedom this century.

The Dialectics of Social Life, which was published in 1971, discussed the eternal contradiction between the significance of cultural norms and the rise and fall of social activities. In the end, it had to end with contempt of social and cultural tyranny. This book continues this theme and explores individuals who are paralyzed in society through the understanding of the ontology -existence. I found that it was wrapped in the highest form in the battle of life to resist isolation, dependence, slander, confusion, and everything else. negative. This struggle is the highest expression of human anger in life, and it is also the ultimate purpose of our paralyzed and all disabled people.

Literally, the disabled people seem to be a physical prisoner, but most of us are inherent prisoners. We live in the fence we created by ourselves, staring at the life outside through the barrier of culture, and through the iron fences of fear. To some extent, we need to leave the previous environment and re -discover what we are and where we are. It is in this way that the disabled -and all of us -will find the ultimate freedom in the outline of thought and imagination.

Li Nian edited from the chapter of the whole book of "Silent"

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Author: Murphy Xing Haiyan

Edit: Li Nian

Editor in charge: Li Nian

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*Wenhui exclusive manuscript, please indicate the source for reprinting.

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