On Friday, Aug. 13, all eyes were on
Yvonne Villanueva-Russell, Ph.D., during the general session when she
gave her provocative presentation on “Transforming the Chiropractic
Profession through Cultural Authority.” As a sociologist (and assistant
professor at Texas A & M University-Commerce), she spoke about the
parallels between her profession and chiropractic. While she is not a
chiropractor, she is married to one (fellow Homecoming speaker Eric
Russell, D.C., Davenport ’96) and is therefore “sort of married to
chiropractic.”
“Cultural
authority,” said Dr. Villanueva-Russell, “is a state when you are
unquestioningly believed. I am in a profession that is in a similar
state as chiropractic. Sociology has no cultural authority and no real
identity. We have pluralism, but we don’t have a single identity.” Much
like chiropractic.
“There was a time,” she added, “when Palmer had control over the profession, hegemony. But things have changed.”
She
noted that there are few voices making themselves heard regarding the
chiropractic profession, most of them in chiropractic journals. She also
questions if they are truly representative of the profession’s
majority.
In her research on
chiropractic, Dr. Villaneuva-Russell said she has seen several
suggestions for what the profession should do in order to move forward.
“One recommendation is to do away with the term ‘vitalism,’” she said.
“Another is to do away with models that are ‘indefensible from simple
common sense,’ such as innate intelligence. That chiropractors who
dogmatically oppose common pubic health practices such as immunization
should be quiet. That philosophy classes should not be permitted to be
taught at our colleges, and that philosophy instructors should be
replace by (those who advance) evidence-based approaches to spine care.”
“These
are all from articles in journals,” she continued. “This is a discourse
put out for you to respond to and be part of the conversation. If you
don’t respond, you’re not part of the conversation.”
Dr. Villanueva-Russell also noted a headline in Dynamic Chiropractic
(June 2, 2003), which read “New Study Finds Unity in Chiropractic!” But
what it didn’t say was that 88 percent of the chiropractors polled
wanted to keep the term “vertebral subluxation” or that 83 percent want
to have a wellness care identity.
“Your
identity is who you are; your genuine ‘true you’ deep down inside,” she
says. “In chiropractic, your Sacred Trust is under attack. It’s
denigrated. What does chiropractic stand for? Chiropractic has no
cultural authority; you are continually questioned. Cultural authority
isn’t a prize. It is politically claimed. It is won after the results of
a war. It’s a very strategic battle being fought by your fellow
chiropractors. [If you don’t take an active part,] you will find that
everything will be changed by your own colleagues on your behalf.”
Her
advice is to be aware, join the conversation, read the journals and
keep up with what your colleagues are up to. Get a more diverse
perspective, attend the ACC-RAC and other conferences, and hold yourself
accountable.
“Palmer is where it all
started,” she says. “There is something here in the walls. There’s an
energy here, a history. What does Palmer represent for you? Something to
fight for? You have a Sacred Trust. Are you willing to hold your feet
to the fire?”