TRADITIONAL MEDICINE VS MODERN MEDICINE

Traditional Medicine vs Modern Medicine

Jennifer Crain-Samario
University of Texas at El Paso
Professor Masoud
RWS 1302: Genre Analysis

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Traditional vs Modern Medicine

Pharmaceutical companies in the United States are making money on the sick, ill,
and dying citizens. Is this due to modern medicine being the only option available or is
it due to the lack of knowledge from what seems to be a far distant past of traditional
medicine. Modern medicine has brought us to a point where we can actually replace
parts of the human body and anatomy with animal parts and live longer because of it.
However, traditional medicine brought us to this point and is still very useful in
everyday life. Is one practice better than the other? Should they both be used together?
These questions and issues will be spoken about using two different genres that compare
each practice and its uses. Ruiping Fan and Ian Hollidays article Which medicine?
Whose standard? Critical reflections on medical integration in China, compares the use
of modern medicine and traditional medicine in China, and the Kylea Balanced Health
video Alternative vs. Traditional MedicineDo Doctors Know Best? Debunking
Myths, does a comparison of traditional and modern medicine and some ways to use
both for better health care. During the course of the analysis these two genres will be
discussed as well as their take on the topic.
Audience and Purpose
The first genre, Ruiping Fan and Ian Hollidays Which medicine? Whose
standard? Critical reflections on medical integration in China, is an article that was
written for and published in the Journal of Medical Ethics August 16, 2006. The
purpose of this particle piece was to research and study how modern medicine is used in
China as well as the traditional practices. The second genre was a segment on a show
called Balanced Health, and did a comparison contrast of modern medicine and

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traditional, herbal, medicine for a few particular illnesses. The intended audience for the
article are those in the medical field and the regular laymen who may not know much
about medicine. Due to the fact that the article was published in a medical journal one
can assume that the intended audience would be for those in the medical field or at least
with a good working knowledge of the medical field. The intended audience for the
segment is the everyday person who may not know much at all about medicine. Those
conducting the show and doctor answering the questions were sure to explain in detail
and easy to understand terms about what was being discussed making it seem that they
were talking to those who may not know what the terms being used meant.
Both genres cover a comparison/contrast style of modern versus traditional
medicine, however, they differ in the amount of time it took to take in the information.
The article took a while to read and absorb due to the amount of information presented
and the length of it. The segment was only about nine minutes long and there was no
reading required so it was easy to sit there and watch it and take everything in.
Mutually, the genres were both trying to inform the audience of how modern
medicine and traditional are practiced separately and together. The segment was very
short and was only able to focus on a few very specific issues to talk about. The article
was lengthier and was able to go into more detail about how traditional medicine is used
in various regions of China and how modern medicine plays a role or may not play a role
in each region spoken about.
The segment was set up be inviting and had a cozy feeling, like you were sitting
around the table having coffee with them. The colors were warm and neutral with the
back ground in browns and the people in light greens and blues. It had a homey feeling

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TRADITIONAL MEDICINE VS MODERN MEDICINE

like a mother or grandmother might be watching. The article was a normal font with
only the acronyms in capital letters. There was nothing extravagant about it. The
information was put out in a clean and concise manner and written to be easily
understood. There were no visuals used only black and white text.
Rhetorical Issues
Bothe genres were able to present their rhetorical issues, however, each did so
differently. The segment presented the issue in more of an instructional way. Whereas
the article presented the issue in more of an informative way.
Ethos
In the first genre, the hosts of the show were interviewing a licensed doctor with a
wide range of experience in different arenas. By doing the interview with the doctor
established credibly for the segment. Those who were watching will take the
information seriously due to the fact that the answers were coming from a real doctor
instead just a random person with some working knowledge on the subject. In the
second genre, the authors are themselves medical students and professionals in the
subject and were able to cite all sources used to obtain the information presented.
Those who read the article are not looking at a haphazard grocery store magazine to
obtain the information. The fact that the article is published in an established medical
journal also gives credibility to the information presented.
Pathos
The segment piece is evoking the feeling of understanding. The doctor who is
being interviewed in able to break down and go over each topic easily. The hosts were

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able to keep the flow of the conversation light and relate it to their own everyday lives
much the same as a person who is watching the segment would. The article evoked the
feeling of being informed. It was very straight forward with little room to vary from the
route the authors intended. Unless a person reading the article came from one of the
regions discussed or had a previous experience with the medical practice presented they
would not have been able to relate to their own lives or anyone elses.
Logos
In the segment the terminology used laymen terms and if there were any medical
terms used they were explained fully and in detail. In the article no to many medical
terms were used, but the authors did use medical names for modern, complementary,
and traditional medicine. All of the names used were then given and acronym which
appeared when the name was first used and then the acronym was used for the duration
of the article.
Structure and Delivery
In the first genre, it was structured to be concise and to the point on the few
topics that were discussed. Due to the time constraints of the segment it was very well
organized and flowed easily from one topic to the next without any hiccups. In the
second genre, it was also well structured and organized but it was able to go into more
depth on a wider variety of topics and did not have a time constraint.
Conclusion
Each genre was able to present the topic in a way that would leave the audience
with something to think about. The first genre was instructional whereas the second

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genre was more informational. The first genre focused more on a few specific topics and
the second went into more detail on how traditional medicine was used in different
regions of China. Traditional medicine and modern medicine will always be around and
hopefully being used together and these two genres were able to bring to light some of
the ways that this can happen and is happening in the world today.

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References

Fan, R., & Holliday, I. (2007). Which medicine? Whose standard? Critical reflections
on medical integration in China. Retrieved September 10, 2016, from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2598165/
K. (2009). Alternative vs. Traditional Medicine -- Do Doctors Know Best?
Debunking Myths. Retrieved September 10, 2016, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkGwjlEa-mo