cultural approaches in medical anth Flashcards
(12 cards)
cultural consonanse
Individuals who dont conform or participate in core cultural components tendto have worse health than those who do conform.
critical medical anth
examines power differentials and their impact on health
Political economy of health
wealthy groups have overall better nutrition, fewer infectious diseases and longer life spans.
Individuals with fewer resources are more at risk of being exposed to hazardous conditions and fewer healthcare systems. (structural violence (needless suffering))
+ve correlation between lifeexpectancy and per capita wealth.
female health is often comprimised by lower incomes, less governmental representation, less power in household decisions.
men are subjected to more occupational hazzards.
Ethnomedical systems
indigenous healing systems. although healing raditions can be diferent they all have theories of etiology, diagnostic criteria, theraputic measures and training.
India or China (large scale societies): medicine is institutionalised.
smaller scale: may be no textual tradition and informal mechanisms of training.
explanitory models
kleinman discovered that physitians and patients often have different explanitory models for the cause appropriate treatment, and definition of slignment
pluralistic
elements of one healing tradiion may be incorperated into another or individuals in the society may seek put healers from various traditions in a quest for health. when individuals are suffering they are more open to alternative approaches.
Interpretive approach
interpriting medical approaches, health and disease within their cultural contexts. Influenced by Geertz’s notion of ethnography as ‘thick description’
‘thick description’
Geertz says to fully understand the role various behaviours play within their cultural context and how these behaviours make sense within that milieu
Nichter
describes illness as an idiom of distress, a culturally sanctioned way of expressing dissatisfation with ones position or roleat agiven time. Are culturally specific.
e.g. pibloktoq, syndrome recognised by arctic people as a set of osychological symptoms that made afflicted individuals behave in ways at odds with normal roles.
International classification of disease
provides standardised definitions of all known human diseases.
nosologies
systems of disease classification, culturally influeced
Applied medical anth
working inclinical settings as a sort of patient advocate to prevent any culture blocks between patient and clinitian.
