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Traditional acupuncturists and higher education in Britain: The dual, paradoxical impact of biomedical alignment on the holistic view

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  • Givati, Assaf
  • Hatton, Kieron

Abstract

Traditional acupuncturists' quest for external legitimacy in Britain involves the standardization of their knowledge bases through the development of training schools and syllabi, formal educational structures, and, since the 1990s, the teaching of undergraduate courses within (or validated by) Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), a process which entails biomedical alignment of the curriculum. However, as holistic discourses were commonly used as a rhetorical strategy by CAM practitioners to distance themselves from biomedicine and as a source of public appeal, this ‘mainstreaming’ process evoked practitioners' concerns that their holistic claims are being compromised. An additional challenge is being posed by a group of academics and scientists in Britain who launched an attack on CAM courses taught in HEIs, accusing them of being ‘unscientific’ and ‘non-academic’ in nature. This paper explores the negotiation of all these challenges during the formalization of traditional acupuncture education in Britain, with a particular focus on the role of HEIs. The in-depth qualitative investigation draws on several data sets: participant observation in a university validated acupuncture course; in-depth interviews; and documentary analysis. The findings show how, as part of the formalization process, acupuncturists in Britain (re)negotiate their holistic, anti-reductionist discourses and claims in relation to contemporary societal, political and cultural forces. Moreover, the teaching and validation of acupuncture courses by HEIs may contribute to broadening acupuncturists' ‘holistic awareness’ of societal and cultural influences on individuals' and communities' ill-health. This investigation emphasises the dynamic and context-specific (rather than fixed and essentialized) nature of acupuncture practice and knowledge.

Suggested Citation

  • Givati, Assaf & Hatton, Kieron, 2015. "Traditional acupuncturists and higher education in Britain: The dual, paradoxical impact of biomedical alignment on the holistic view," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 173-180.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:131:y:2015:i:c:p:173-180
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.03.003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cant, Sarah & Watts, Peter & Ruston, Annmarie, 2011. "Negotiating competency, professionalism and risk: The integration of complementary and alternative medicine by nurses and midwives in NHS hospitals," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(4), pages 529-536, February.
    2. Baer, Hans A. & Hays, John & McClendon, Nicole & McGoldrick, Neil & Vespucci, Raffella, 1998. "The holistic health movement in the San Francisco Bay Area: Some preliminary observations," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 47(10), pages 1495-1501, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Brosnan, Caragh, 2017. "Alternative futures: Fields, boundaries, and divergent professionalisation strategies within the Chiropractic profession," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 83-91.

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