Research On The Path Of Traditional Chinese Medicine Xixiang Based On Social Constructivism

PurposeIn recent years, the topic of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) communication to the western world has become an emerging subject in China. Along with One Belt One Road (OBOR), TCM is featured with its multiple attributes like cultural and medical science as one of the best communication and cooperation carriers. The health maintenance study based on TCM to be more easily accepted by the western people, for shares the similar concepts with the modern health management. In essence, this topic relates to acceptance heterogeneous system of scientific knowledge. Based on the theory of social constructivism, the paper tries to follow the history of TCM’s (especially health maintenance study) spread in the United Kingdom, analyze the ways of acceptance and the factors of social constructivism, and further solve the difficulties of introduction of TCM to the western world.MethodsThe major research methods of the paper include literature analysis, case analysis, questionnaire survey and related interviews. Comparative study and content analysis are also used to analyze each historical period, thy to conclude the law of TCM communication to the West, and realize the cross validation of the overall process description and analysis.Research ContentsTCM has been more widely spread in the western world, but the overall accepted situation is less optimistic. From the perspective of social constructivism theory, there is no one-dimensional "objective reality" civilization transmission. The interactive social construction factors arepositive when communication occurs. The western peoples’attitude toward the Orient directly affects the TCM communication to the West in different times.In Ming and Qing Dynasties, western people started to have some preliminary understandings of TCM thanks to the European missionaries in China. Sphygmology, acupuncture and moxibustion might be the most well-known parts of TCM. However, the missionaries put TCM into the mode of Western medicine during introduction.It is believed that the communication between Chinese and Western medicine were equalbecause China and Europe were both flourish at that ages, and their paradigms were also at the stage of nature medicine, mostly on herbs. Actually, the West’s understanding on the mode of western medical science leads to misreading or interpretation of TCM. In the 18th century, with the development of the Orientalism, the oriental science including TCM was regarded as heterogeneous, which exerted a negative impact on the spread of the TCM.The First Opium War turned China from an old and ancient civilized country to a backward and stagnant one. The change directly affected the British understanding of TCM, which was regarded as a disorder theory or deceitful trick. But at the same time, some western scholars, like Bernard Emms Read, opened a new way of understanding TCM. He analyzed TCM from the perspective of Western pharmacology and modern botany, and tried to bring TCM into Western paradigm. IT embodies the construction of western science and technology to the TCM.In the 1970s, after President Richard Nixon’s China visit, "Chinese Medicine fever" and "Acupuncture and Moxibustion fever" ever appeard in the western world. Unfortunately, in 1999, the report on kidney disease caused by TCM turned TCM from the darling of media into a critical target.This paper considers that there are four existing problems of TCM communication to the UK:first, TCM was constructed as a "magical" ancient wisdom, which orientalized TCM. Second, TCM is introduced as part of sinology. On one side it might be a help to expand TCM’s influence. On the other side, TCM is tagged as a some relic of oriental civilization, which undermines its communication. Third, the West constructs a west-style acupuncture, which makes the TCM treatments far away from the theory of TCM. Fourth, the legislation of TCM encounters numerous obstacles, still hard to have breakthrough after years of continuous efforts. According to the questionnaire and interviews, TCM is not well accepted by the British people. They still have weak perception in the effect of TCM. The main impeding elements for the communication are considered as lack of scientific basis. In contract, the religious factors have minimal effects on it.GonclusionFrom the perspective of history, TCM is never simply considered as a medical technology; on the contrary, it is constructed constantly. Based on this, there are four majorinspirations:first, TCM has lack of own voice right during communication and the competitiveness of TCM normal form is powerless. Second, TCM is notregarded as a valuable knowledge system. Its value is filtered out by western medicine paradigms. Third, the development of TCM is always in the middle of interest conflicets among the western medicine. The study team of TCM has a long way to go. Fourth, as part of Chinese culture, the destiny of TCM closely relates to national prosperity or weakness. According to this, to create an accepted paradigm is the fundamental approach. A modernization and scientific paradigm of TCM should be promoted with western medicine paradigm and mainstream medicine. Meanwhile, as for practical strategy, to legislate TCM, demonstrate its curative effect and popularize the health maintenance will accelerate the communication of TCM to the western world. With the development of China, the understanding of the western world to China is changing. The cultural exchanges between China and western countries are increasing. As a treasure of Chinese culture, the spread of TCM has a bright future.