C3 Acupuncture Beyond Medicine: Global Perspectives from the Late Nineteenth to Twenty-First Century Chair: Emily Baum, University of California, Irvine - Jean Tzu-yin Chou, University of Glasgow: Commodification of Acupuncture in the UK: Examining the Perceptions of TCM Patients/Customers from 1970s to the Post-Covid Period
- Ling-yi Tsai, Vanderbilt University: Occupation for the Blind: Acupuncture in Japanese Colonial Taiwan (1895–1945)
- Po-Hsun Chen, Taipei Municipal Gan-Dau Hospital: Stimulated by Acupuncture Anesthesia: Scientization and Institutionalization of Acupuncture Research in Cold War Taiwan
Apart from representing a significant part of Chinese medicine and an emblem of Chinese civilization, acupuncture and its uses appeared in diverse forms with different functions worldwide. In fact, the role of acupuncture extends beyond being a mere medicinal technique; it also functions as a welfare policy, a diplomatic instrument, and a spiritual commodity. This panel comprises three diverse papers that collectively elucidate the complex global landscape of acupuncture from the late nineteenth to the twenty-first century.
Ling-yi Tsai explores how acupuncture was introduced to Taiwan during its colonial period and functioned as a welfare policy for the blind. Acupuncture has a long history in Japan, and due to the heightened sensitivity of blind individuals, it was regarded as a suitable occupation for the blind. However, this (dis)ability of the blind still required governmental support to maintain its occupational exclusivity. In post-war Taiwan, acupuncture shifted from a welfare policy in the Japanese colonial regime to a tool in diplomatic competition under the Kuomintang government. Notably, after US President Nixon’s historic visit to China in the 1970s, acupuncture not only gained popularity in the West but also became a point of focus in the delicate US-China relationship. Po-hsun Chen demonstrates how improved PRC-US diplomatic relations in the 1970s prompted the Kuomintang government in Taiwan to conduct scientific research, particularly on acupuncture anesthesia, in an effort to bridge acupuncture with neuroscience and showcase its scientific value. At the same time, acupuncture gained momentum through the burgeoning New Age movement, which fueled significant market demand for acupuncture in the West. Despite its adoption, acupuncture remains primarily categorized as an alternative and complementary medical practice outside of biomedicine in most global contexts. Tzu-yin Chou traces how acupuncture became commodified in the UK, a process that blurred the boundaries between “patients” and “customers” as individuals seek options outside the NHS provision.
