Medical/Health Humanities Research Group 

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Medical/Health Humanities Members

• Joanna George, College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Salman Rafique, English (Screen Studies)
• Dr. Jessica Turcat, Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies

 

Rising from the Dust: Reframing Oklahoma’s Intergenerational Trauma Legacy Towards Resilience

 

 

 

 

Abstract 

 

Our project aims to address the legacy of generational trauma among Oklahoma residents by envisioning a trauma-free future that foregrounds resilience and healing. Recognizing that trauma endured can be handed down through generations, we aim to intervene at the critical juncture of early parenting and childhood years to promote resilience and healing among both parents and children. We argue that timely recognition and intervention can disrupt the transmission of trauma from one generation to the next. To this end, we propose a series of workshops in collaboration with community partners, along with multiple conference presentations across Oklahoma. 

 

 

Expanded Description 

 

In a meeting with Resilient Payne County (RPC), Blaine Bowers (President, RPC) highlighted that Oklahoma’s legacy of generational trauma often goes unacknowledged. He pointed out that Oklahoma’s poor performance on key human development indices should be understood within a historical framework informed by traumatic past events such as the Trail of Tears, the Dust Bowl, the Tulsa Race Massacre, and the burning of Black Wall Street. Bowers’ insights were further underscored by the renewed focus on Oklahoma’s history of trauma, abuse, and dispossession in Martin Scorsese’s historical epic "Killers of the Flower Moon" (2023), which received widespread critical and popular acclaim. We recognize the urgent need for informed intervention through both academic work and community engagement, aiming to forge sustainable networks of collaboration between academics and community members. 

 

Our research into Oklahoma’s poor performance on human development indices reveals alarming trends: Oklahoma ranks 43rd in overall health outcomes, 49th in adult mental health, 45th in drug overdose deaths, and 42nd in overall child well-being. Additionally, Oklahoma is “the worst state for women” due to wage disparity, insufficient healthcare, and lack of social security networks for marginalized women. The state also ranks low in educational outcomes and has disproportionately high rates of domestic violence and homicide among Black and Indigenous women. These findings indicate a persistent pattern rather than isolated incidents, warranting a collaborative initiative involving Oklahoma State University academics and community partners. 

 

Our team’s diverse academic expertise uniquely qualifies us to address the legacy of trauma in Oklahoma. Dr. Jessica Turcat brings extensive academic and community experience in parenting. Joanna George, trained in osteopathic medicine, offers a scientific perspective on medical practice and care work, with a broader interest in narrative medicine that bridges humanities and medicine. Salman Rafique’s research focuses on contemporary social pathologies and their visual representations. 

 

Several community partners have expressed interest in collaborating to shift the focus from trauma legacy to resilience. We envision academic work as a vehicle to further community engagement toward a healthy, trauma-free Oklahoma, celebrating resilience and healing. As Center for the Humanities fellows, we designed a roadmap outlining immediate deliverables and potential future projects. 

 

Current Project Components 

 

• Presentation at the International Conference on Parental Support 2024 

• Poster Presentation at Leela O’Toole Lecture Series 2024 

• Roundtable Discussion Panel at Southern Plain Arts Humanities and Languages Conference 2024 

• Essay publication in an edited collection on Mothers, Motherhood, and Trauma/Intergenerational Trauma 

• Stood 4th in Rural Health Innovation Challenge 2024 ($250 awarded to Uplift Summer Parenting Serries) 

• Uplift Summer Parenting Series 2024: This six-week series is in partnership with and funded by Resilient Payne County, Stillwater Public Schools K-12, Stillwater Public Library, OSU Center for Family Resilience, OSU’s Early Childhood Education Program, and The Saville Center for Child Advocacy. In its inaugural year, over 30 parents with over 30 children registered for the series. An optional exit survey will be provided to parents at the end of the series. These responses will serve as community impact narratives that we hope to use in the future.   

 

Possible Future Projects 

 

• Continued summer parenting classes in the coming years 

• A video project documenting histories of intergenerational trauma faced by Oklahoma residents, for dissemination to economic, political, and social leaders 
• Collaboration with local authorities, such as judges, to launch a juvenile justice initiative aimed at supporting pre-teen and teenage children involved with the justice system alongside their parents in a state-mandated family-support course.