Tag: Societal norms
-
Oh, What Men Dare Do!
There seemed to be an inordinate amount of talk about polygamy last year –perhaps because of the long-awaited trial of two offenders from the town of Bountiful in British Columbia. In Canada, polygamy is a criminal offence under section 293 of the Criminal Code, but prosecutions have been rare. Polygamy must be differentiated from Bigamy,…
-
Acknowledging the Mind’s Eye
Sometimes, in the midst of a problem –in the midst of an era- the resolution derives not so much from the answer as from the acknowledgement that there is an issue to begin with. I find it interesting that Nature has given us an ability to adapt more efficiently -to ignore, I suppose- that which…
-
Medical Revisionism
Words -that’s all they are: sounds that by their very presence magically communicate meaning. They are more than mere noise or background. They are not the wind rustling through the leaves, nor the sounds of a frog in a pond; in a way, they are entities that resolve uncertainty, and in as much as they…
-
Affairs of State?
What is it about les affaires d’amour that seem to capture our interest? Wave for our attention? I am reassured by the activity in the world’s blogs -not to mention its press- that I was not alone in noticing the recent fuss around the alleged affair of the president of France. Adam Gopnik’s piece in the BBC…
-
The dangers of perceived wisdom
The Court of Public Opinion -an interesting phrase to be sure. It implies the judgemental assessment of an action, an idea -an opinion- by society at large. An interpretation, not necessarily impartial or even appropriate. A reaction, really, to something that stands out as different in some way from that Public’s perceived norms. A Culture’s value system is usually encapsulated in what…
-
Gender
I am a prisoner of my age, a hostage to my generation; I never thought I’d say that, but I suppose none of us do… We are as contemporary as our minds and experience will allow. My own epiphany came, as I recall, when a patient engaged me in a discussion of gender. I had not…
musings on women's health 