What's in a Name? The Tragic Story of Saartjie Baartman and the Argument for a Return to ‘The Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’

Abstract

Objective:To demonstrate, by a historical example, how the use of the term 'Royal' in the name of the College is unacceptable, and that to continue to use it associates us with past human rights abuses. It is argued further that to resume the title, 'Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists', better represents our goals than the current name.Conclusions: Although Royal colleges of medicine have traditionally been seen as institutions of earnest scientific learning, they have also been associated with the abuse of human rights. Because Australia is a country of the New World, it is no longer acceptable to use the term 'Royal' in our name owing to the negative connotations, which are not outweighed by any positive associations (such as a tradition of learning, which is not limited to Royal colleges).

Broken bodies and present ghosts: <i>Ubuntu</i> and African women’s theology

“…After her death, the French scientist and expert on comparative anatomy George Cuvier, made a mould of her body and preserved her skeleton, genitalia and brain for display at the Museum of Mankind (Musée de l'Homme) in Paris until 1974(De Saxe 2003. In 1994 Baartman became part of the exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay called La Sculpture Ethnographique au XIXeme siècle, de la Venus Hottentot à la Tehura de Gauguin, never called by her name, but rather the 'Hottentot Venus', she was 'a spectral being, someone who never existed except in the minds of other' (Crais & Scully 2009:142).…”

Comment

“…If we extend his developmental analogy, his views represent those of adolescents, where the values of the past are jettisoned without consideration of their value. I personally found his comments on our Irish colleagues in a sister college in rather poor taste, reflecting a degree of intolerance towards those who do not share his views 1 . It is perhaps they who have a more mature understanding of history.…”

“…I am glad that Dr De Saxe has discovered that New Zealanders form part of our College 1 because they were conspicuously absent from his previous correspondence 2 . Neither of us can speak on their behalf, but the fact that no New Zealander has participated in the debate might suggest a general satisfaction with the state of affairs.…”

“…For him ‘Royal’ denotes something malign, establishing hegemony over peoples and minds. However, the only example he gives is from South Africa, which involved doctors who may or may not have been members of a Royal College (we simply do not know) 1 . If we are looking for abuses of psychiatry in living memory, we only need consider the former Soviet Union, or the USA, where mentally disordered prisoners on death row are prescribed psychotropics to make them well enough for execution.…”

“…I personally found his comments on our Irish colleagues in a sister college in rather poor taste, reflecting a degree of intolerance towards those who do not share his views. 1 It is perhaps they who have a more mature understanding of history. People like Dr De Saxe are rooted in the past, dwelling on past injustices, rather than dealing with current issues such as democratic reform of the College and improving the mental health of Australians and New Zealanders.…”