The concept of pain is universal and essential for humankind. Pain ultimately is a protective measure to warn us about instances where our physical and psychological health is in jeopardy. Pain is intertwined with cultural, political, and social settings which form a sense of time and place. Although pain is not solely confined within the boundaries of individual endeavoring, it is subjectively experienced by humans. Articulating pain requires a strong understanding of evidence-based medical models, as well as the subjective dimensions of the body in pain and how it is situated in cultural, social, political, and historical contexts.
The collective essays in the Dimensions of Pain demonstrate different perspectives in understanding the complexities of the expression and experience of pain. Each chapter represents a different approach to understanding the nature of pain. For example, the last three chapters expand on the specificity of labor pains. From perceiving pain as good and normal to conceptualizing highly radicalized ways to respond to pain, the midwifery tradition has conflicting views on labor pain. Another essay approaches the pain from a personal experience of unmedicated labor and elucidates the struggles of conveying pain in language. Käll uses these different viewpoints on labor pain to further emphasize that pain is not easily expressed or communicated. The volume looks at pain holistically and in connection to multidisciplinary perspectives while integrating the humanities that are often unnoticed in medical settings.
Source: Käll, L. F. (2017). Dimensions of pain: Humanities and social science perspectives. Routledge.
