{"id":{"repo_id":"gsu","oai_identifier":"oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-1556"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/gsu/oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-1556","repository":{"repo_id":"gsu","name":"Georgia Southern University","base_url":"https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Images of Experience: Decolonizing Medicine","abstract":"The experiences of illness and trauma are vivid examples of a discontinuity that separates us from those that surround us. In seeking treatment, we enter a very foreign culture, regardless of how long or of how serious our injury or illness. We are disconnected from our personal and private lives and are placed within a cultural group bearing a separate set of beliefs and practices. Practitioners of medicine make up a distinct culture. This culture is formed as a site of discontinuity in a large part through the experiences of medical education from that of the experiences of the one we call patient. The dissertation explores the current practice and institutions of American medicine and its education through the theoretical frameworks of Critical Theory, Critical Humanism, and Postcolonialism. I investigate the historical developments of the initial identity of the patient, as well as the development of the hospital as a site of patient segregation and care, coupled with the development of the institutions of medical education. Through a critical and visual narrative of my own experiences within the settings, I compare the exploration and treatment of the patient to one who is geographically colonized as those described by Edward Said in his work, Orientalism. As the European colonialists defined, named, and studied the Oriental, American medicine and its education can be seen to enact very similar impacts and actions on the ill and vulnerable in our country.","abstract_html":"The experiences of illness and trauma are vivid examples of a discontinuity that separates us from those that surround us. In seeking treatment, we enter a very foreign culture, regardless of how long or of how serious our injury or illness. We are disconnected from our personal and private lives and are placed within a cultural group bearing a separate set of beliefs and practices. Practitioners of medicine make up a distinct culture. This culture is formed as a site of discontinuity in a large part through the experiences of medical education from that of the experiences of the one we call patient. The dissertation explores the current practice and institutions of American medicine and its education through the theoretical frameworks of Critical Theory, Critical Humanism, and Postcolonialism. I investigate the historical developments of the initial identity of the patient, as well as the development of the hospital as a site of patient segregation and care, coupled with the development of the institutions of medical education. Through a critical and visual narrative of my own experiences within the settings, I compare the exploration and treatment of the patient to one who is geographically colonized as those described by Edward Said in his work, Orientalism. As the European colonialists defined, named, and studied the Oriental, American medicine and its education can be seen to enact very similar impacts and actions on the ill and vulnerable in our country.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Patton, Colleen Hill"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)","degree_level":"Dissertation (open access)","degree_discipline":"Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Delese Wear","John Weaver","Marla Morris"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:27:12Z","subjects":["ETD","Medicine","Doctor","Institution","Physician assistant","Professionalism","Colonialism","Imperialism","Postcolonialism","Health","Narrative"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/556","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Delese Wear","John Weaver","Marla Morris"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Patton, Colleen Hill"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2013-10-17T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation (open access)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ETD","Medicine","Doctor","Institution","Physician assistant","Professionalism","Colonialism","Imperialism","Postcolonialism","Health","Narrative"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/556"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The experiences of illness and trauma are vivid examples of a discontinuity that separates us from those that surround us. In seeking treatment, we enter a very foreign culture, regardless of how long or of how serious our injury or illness. We are disconnected from our personal and private lives and are placed within a cultural group bearing a separate set of beliefs and practices. Practitioners of medicine make up a distinct culture. This culture is formed as a site of discontinuity in a large part through the experiences of medical education from that of the experiences of the one we call patient. The dissertation explores the current practice and institutions of American medicine and its education through the theoretical frameworks of Critical Theory, Critical Humanism, and Postcolonialism. I investigate the historical developments of the initial identity of the patient, as well as the development of the hospital as a site of patient segregation and care, coupled with the development of the institutions of medical education. Through a critical and visual narrative of my own experiences within the settings, I compare the exploration and treatment of the patient to one who is geographically colonized as those described by Edward Said in his work, Orientalism. As the European colonialists defined, named, and studied the Oriental, American medicine and its education can be seen to enact very similar impacts and actions on the ill and vulnerable in our country."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Images of Experience: Decolonizing Medicine"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Delese Wear","John Weaver","Marla Morris"],"dc:creator":["Patton, Colleen Hill"],"dc:date.available":["2013-10-17T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The experiences of illness and trauma are vivid examples of a discontinuity that separates us from those that surround us. In seeking treatment, we enter a very foreign culture, regardless of how long or of how serious our injury or illness. We are disconnected from our personal and private lives and are placed within a cultural group bearing a separate set of beliefs and practices. Practitioners of medicine make up a distinct culture. This culture is formed as a site of discontinuity in a large part through the experiences of medical education from that of the experiences of the one we call patient. The dissertation explores the current practice and institutions of American medicine and its education through the theoretical frameworks of Critical Theory, Critical Humanism, and Postcolonialism. I investigate the historical developments of the initial identity of the patient, as well as the development of the hospital as a site of patient segregation and care, coupled with the development of the institutions of medical education. Through a critical and visual narrative of my own experiences within the settings, I compare the exploration and treatment of the patient to one who is geographically colonized as those described by Edward Said in his work, Orientalism. As the European colonialists defined, named, and studied the Oriental, American medicine and its education can be seen to enact very similar impacts and actions on the ill and vulnerable in our country."],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/556"],"dc:subject":["ETD","Medicine","Doctor","Institution","Physician assistant","Professionalism","Colonialism","Imperialism","Postcolonialism","Health","Narrative"],"dc:title":["Images of Experience: Decolonizing Medicine"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation (open access)"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:27:12Z"}