Ryan Wright - Case Study #1: Can Culture Justify The Practices?
1.
Was this a clear case of child abuse? What evidence do we have that Phuoc was being
beaten at home?
Overall, this depends entirely on how you view it from a cultural standpoint. One must
understand Vietnamese cultural, the family’s experiences with the Thai pirates, and its current
mental state as a unit. From an American standpoint, this would be considered child abuse
because, in most of the United States, corporal punishment is no longer an accepted form of
parenting. However, in some non-Western cultures, corporal punishment is still an acceptable
way to parent. Since the family is still relatively new to the United States, Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen
may not have learned this new cultural aspect of their country. However, it is ethnocentric to
expect immigrants to conform to the social standards of another country, even if those standards
are considered taboo. In regards to the evidence of Phuoc being beaten, the bruises and bamboo
sticks are evidence enough. The bruises are on parts of the body that normally would not be
present from falling down on the playground or bumping into a table. Mrs. Nguyen also pointed
to the bamboo sticks and towards her husband, indicating that he had beaten Phuoc with the
bamboo sticks.
2.
Can you argue in the opposite direction that it was not a case of child abuse? What are
some possible explanations?
One definitely can argue that this is not a case of child abuse. The family has suffered
from a great tragedy at the hand of Thai pirates. Of their three children, only Phuoc survived the
pirate attack, causing the family massive amounts of grief and trauma. Mrs. Nguyen indicated
that the bamboo sticks and coins were for a traditional form of Vietnamese medicine called
Thùôc Nam (Thai, 2020). Given that the family has just suffered this tragedy, Mr. Nguyen may
have been trying to rid Phuoc of any mental ailments from which he may have been suffering
such as PTSD. Also, as our textbook has stated, Asian cultures typically do not view
psychotherapy in the same way. Instead of going to a therapist when one is struggling with
mental health, people from Asian cultures typically keep busy or push away these thoughts.
Thùôc Nam may have been a way for the family to ‘cure’ some PTSD that they are suffering
from.
3.
Can you think of any cultural factors that might affect your assessment of the case? What is
‘Thùôc Nam’?
My biggest issue would be the cultural differences between Vietnam and the United
States. For me, it is completely unacceptable to violently lay a hand on a child, for it is an
ineffective punishment. Rather than curing the problem, it only instills fear in the child.
Furthermore, the differences between mental health treatment in the USA versus Vietnam are
most likely extremely difference. As previously stated, most Asian cultures do not deal with poor
mental health in the same way that Western nations do. Rather than going to therapy, many
people from Asian nations do the following: push these feelings away, seek comfort in their
family, stay busy, or turn to traditional medicines. That being said, Thùôc Nam is a form of
traditional Vietnamese medicine (Thai, 2020). It would be hard for me to justify leaving bruises
on a child for the sake of using physical means to treat an ailment. However, perhaps some
leniency could be allowed given the circumstances that the family has been through.
4.
In looking at this case, what impact do you believe their experience in leaving Vietnam
may have on their current adjustments and reactions?
I believe that a lot of it has to do with their reactions. Two of their children were killed,
Mrs. Nguyen was violated, and Mr. Nguyen had to watch all of it happen right in front of him. It
is simple to say that the entire family is suffering from a form of severe PTSD from the events
that happened on their boat ride to the USA. Thùôc Nam is the medical treatment that they are
probably most familiar with, so it’s what Mr. Nguyen turned to in order to treat his son.
5.
In reading this vignette, what other information would you like to obtain to assess the case?
Why would you want that information?
I would want to know if Mr. Nguyen is also being physically aggressive towards his wife
as well. Her meek reactions toward the mentions of her husband lead me to believe that she is
also suffering from some sort of abuse. This also may be an aspect of their Vietnamese culture;
many Asian cultures also dictate that the man is the head of the household, and everything he
says goes. I would want this information because it would also help the social worker figure out
if he Mr. Nguyen’s intentions are belligerent or benign. If Mr. Nguyen is truly trying to help his
son heal from PTSD or another mental disorder, his treatment towards his wife would provide a
little more insight into their family dynamics and what Mr. Nguyen’s true intentions may have
been.
6.
If it is found that there are culturally accepted practices that resulted in the bruises, would it
make any difference to you? In other words, if a practice produces injuries to a child, can it
be justified on a cultural basis?
No, I am too culturally blinded on this, and I don’t believe that it’s a value I could easily
weaken on. I do not think that hitting a child for any reason is justifiable. I think that, perhaps,
the family should be given a little leniency after what they have experienced. Instead of
punishing the family, they should be provided with the proper resources to deal with their
trauma. I think that the family’s actions can be morally and culturally justified, in a sense, given
what they’ve been through. However, I don’t think it can be legally justified.
References
Thai, H. C. (2020, March 16). Traditional vietnamese medicine: Historical perspective and
current usage. EthnoMed. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from
https://ethnomed.org/resource/traditional-vietnamese-medicine-historical-perspectiveand-current-usage/