Overview

This book invites us to rethink the meaning of medicine and life - which are intertwined together. Most significantly, it stimulates our thinking of how to live in a more humane way, and this is the passion that I would like to share with you all. - Big Leung

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a great treasure of China's ancient history and culture. Written for health professionals, researchers, social scientists and educators, this book elaborates a view that TCM is embodied in diverse and complex human dimensions and meanings in Chinese culture. Encircling Cultural Meaning includes the TCM concept 'Qi', the holistic approach, which embodies culture in medicine.

The book identifies intricate human dimensions of TCM in: the life stages of youth, adulthood and old age, as family connections, as identity, as balancing /harmonising life, as complementary and knowledge transmission roles. In particular, TCM is seen through the lens of leadership - as refining human relationships, as self, as moral practice, as good management practice, and as embracing the cultural environment. Underlying these categories, shared meanings are revealed, as well as core values and health beliefs in Chinese culture. The complex human dimensions of TCM are shown to be deeply rooted in social, cultural and historical contexts in the Chinese diaspora.

• The Spirit of Chinese Culture: its Human Centredness
• Conceptions of Leadership in Traditional Chinese Medicine
• TCM for Youth, Adults and the Elderly
• TCM in Family Connectedness
• Chinese Identity, Body Image and Gender
• Balance/Harmony/Knowledge
• Underlying Beliefs and Roles
• Social-Cultural Significance

The author draws from and extends her PhD research on lived Chinese experiences and conceptions of TCM across diverse individuals, populations, two focus groups in Australia, and three focus groups in Macau and Hong Kong. Encircling Cultural Meaning reveals rich and profound values in Chinese culture manifested at all levels of life, including: the reciprocal care of filial piety, trust, respect, considerations for others, the quest for self understanding, and the strive for peace and harmony.

These inner virtues in human relationships offers a soothing refuge and solution to the modern world which is often punctuated with imbalance, the overdependence on material acquisition, distrust, violence, and man's inhumanity towards man.