Leading Harvard Mind Visits Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE–Arthur Kleinman M.D., a distinguished medical anthropologist, spoke of empathy and human understanding to a packed UW-Milwaukee auditorium Friday, and touched on a variety of topics from China’s booming middle class to the lingering specter of Maoism which still haunts China today.

China’s middle class currently consists of about 200 million people.  By the year 2025, that total could eclipse 500 million.  While the United States government is renewing tax cuts in an attempt to spark a still-flailing economy, China is seeing continuous growth in the Far East.

Kleinman framed his lecture around his upcoming book, “Deep China: Revealing the Moral Person in China Today,” which he co-wrote with several of his former students.  Principally, studies of China focus on activities and policies in response to economic and political security developments.  Kleinman and his crack team of super-pupils chose a new approach.

“We believe that psychiatry and anthropology produce a different picture of Chinese society,” said Kleinman, “through this book we look at the perceptual, emotional, and moral landscape.”

China is amidst a bevy of social change.  Kleinman called the rise of individualism in a country with such a long history of collectivist, state-first doctrine “remarkable”.  The portion of the book written solely by Kleinman, “The Quest for Meaning,” focuses on this advancement of the self in Chinese culture with specific individual goals such as happiness, social justice, and religious meaning.

Kleinman did not necessarily offer any answers to these perpetual inquiries. He instead focused on the fact that it is now acceptable for Chinese citizens to actively pursue such truths outwardly, whereas in the past, conservative, Maoist tradition deterred such self-expression.

Widespread pro-social moral changes are occurring as well, according to Kleinman.  There is an increasing amount of NGO’s (non-government organizations) with altruistic principles of volunteerism, a growing sense of stewardship for the environment, and a resurgence of Buddhism and Confucianism.

During a Q & A session following the lecture, one audience member asked whether or not the rise of volunteerism in China was necessarily a good thing.

This appeared to strike a nerve with the otherwise affable anthropologist.

“With regard to NGO’s, I’m astonished by your comment,” fired off Kleinman. “Surely anyone looking over life must see that humanitarian assistance is better than war, better than oppression, better than greed, better than the [Madoff’s] of the world.  I can’t imagine where your question is coming from because it seems to me that this is, in fact, what makes our world tolerable.”

The audience member started to speak again, but Kleinman moved on, dismissing the questioner’s credibility.  Despite this hiccup, the lecture was generally well-received by those in attendance.

“I thought it was deep just like the title promised—‘Deep into China’,” said anthropology major Caryl Zaar.  “It helps give us a perspective and gets us out of our own American narcissism and to understand others; to put a balance in the world.  And so I thought Doctor Kleinman was awesome.”

Kleinman answered all remaining questions with composure, and drifted toward broad themes associated with anthropology; the study of humankind.  He spoke of empathy, human understanding, and moral responsibility with the slightest hint of emotion in his voice, departing from his otherwise academic tone.   The collection of inquisitive academics and wide-eyed anthropology students was transformed into a somber room full of human beings.  Ultimately, this was the heart of Dr. Kleinman’s message.  His passion palpable, one could sense a great curiosity and admiration and respect for all people, not just those of the Far East.

It then suddenly became clear what had caused him to react so vehemently to the mere notion of humanitarianism not being absolutely paramount to the quality of mankind’s existence.

SPECIAL NOTES:

• Kleinman is the Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University.
• He is the author of six books, editor or co-editor of 30 volumes and special issues of journals, and is author of more than 220 research and review articles and chapters.
• He is a winner of the Wellcome Prize of the Royal Anthropological Institute; a recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Science from York University; and the 2001 winner of the Franz Boas Award of the American Anthropological Association, its highest award.