Much of the development of medical anthropology has occurred since World War II. The beginning of major anthropological involvement in medical problems was cogently reviewed by Caudil (1953, 'Applied anthropology', in Anthroplogy Today, Edited by A.L. Kroeber, Chicago; University of Chicago Press, PP 771-806) in his land mark paper on applied anthropology in medicine. But, even at that time, involvement of anthropologists and other social scientists in health programme and medical research has changed considerably and there has been a marked increase in the input of social scientists in medicine and medically related areas (e.g. Polgar, Steven, 1962, 'Read the human behaviors: Areas of interest common to the Social and Medical sciences', - Current Anthropology, vol. 3 ; PP 159-205 ; Scotch, Norman, 1963, 'Medical anthropology', in Biennial Review of Anthropology; Edited by S.J. Siegel, Stanford, Stanford University Press , PP 30-38).
In recent times, there was a spurt in ethno-medical studies particularly among rural and tribal communities (e.g. ,Choudhury 1986, 1990). Medical anthropology, in fact, is one of the main areas where a holistic bio-cultural approach is called for. Basically, quite a few things are common in anthropology and medicine. In the proper study of mankind, anthropology aims at discovering man as a human being, so it should be the case with a physician. He should make a human approach to the patient, if he is to remain useful to them.
As a student of anthropology, we put more emphasis on the groups. We are particularly concerned about the study of human beings within the framework of a culture. Culture, in the simplest words may be defined as a set of beliefs and behaviours shared by a group of people. It is the culture that provides people with a way of perceiving the world at large and with the ways of coming into terms with the problems they face. This includes their attitudes about the body and ways in which a person should be treated when ill.
Obviously, people with different culture orientations and experiences have different notions with regard to the concepts of disease cure, treatment, and have different expectations from the physician. If this communication is impeded, the purpose of the physician is defeated.
Thus, e.g. in simple societies seven main types of disease concepts may be recognized. There are:
This knowledge about the various concepts of disease and healing in various communities is very essential for a medical practitioner. Anthropological studies provide such information to us. With regard to the direct relationship between anthropology and health, it may be specifically noted that cultural anthropology has exercised a remarkable influence upon the fields of psychiatry and psychosomatics, and many other forms of diseases.
Malinowski (1948) developed the theory of culture in terms of the operating basic and derived needs of the organism.
It appears that the structure of the ego is largely determined by the manner in which these basic needs are satisfied. The function of the ego is to secure adequate satisfaction of basic and secondary needs to maintain the organism in equilibrium. When needs are not adequately satisfied, there is a failure of ego-integration, and psychic-dis-equilibrium of one sort or another results. Similarly, anthropologists had known since long that feelings and somatic functions are closely related.
Accordingly, they had been advocating for psychosomatic Medicine that has been recognized as a branch of Medicine only recently. Psychosomatic functions are culturally organized. Thus, the problems of "Adolescent Sterility" came to the attention of physiologists after the publication of the Sexual Life of the Savages (1929). Thus, the average adolescent sterility period for the white is 3-years, for Dap (New Guinea) 5 years and for the Lepchas 9 years. Further, Margaret Mead's Coming of age in Samoa (1928) demonstrates that stresses and strums during 'adolescing' are largely the consequences of cultural factors peculiar to particular societies. Even otherwise, health cannot be given to the people, nor can it be bought or sold as a commodity. It invariably calls for people's active participation (e.g. life style, food, attitude towards various medical systems). Thus, anthropology can assist more clearly and satisfactorily in identifying the health needs, and in clarifying factors influencing acceptability and utilization of health services, and can also assist in showing how these health needs can be most appropriately solved.
Source: http://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Anthropology/notes/relationships-with-other-disciplines.html
In recent times, there was a spurt in ethno-medical studies particularly among rural and tribal communities (e.g. ,Choudhury 1986, 1990). Medical anthropology, in fact, is one of the main areas where a holistic bio-cultural approach is called for. Basically, quite a few things are common in anthropology and medicine. In the proper study of mankind, anthropology aims at discovering man as a human being, so it should be the case with a physician. He should make a human approach to the patient, if he is to remain useful to them.
As a student of anthropology, we put more emphasis on the groups. We are particularly concerned about the study of human beings within the framework of a culture. Culture, in the simplest words may be defined as a set of beliefs and behaviours shared by a group of people. It is the culture that provides people with a way of perceiving the world at large and with the ways of coming into terms with the problems they face. This includes their attitudes about the body and ways in which a person should be treated when ill.
Obviously, people with different culture orientations and experiences have different notions with regard to the concepts of disease cure, treatment, and have different expectations from the physician. If this communication is impeded, the purpose of the physician is defeated.
Thus, e.g. in simple societies seven main types of disease concepts may be recognized. There are:
- Sorcery or Magic: Accidents, stumbling etc., among the Australian aborigines as among many other simple people. Death is never regarded as due to natural causes, but is always ascribed to sorcery. Diagnosis, treatment and prognosis are done by traditional medicine men as counter magic.
- Breach of taboo: The "Voodoo death" where the victim dies of a shock is scarcely distinguishable from true wound shock. Expiation of offence can be done by a traditional medicine man using some magical acts.
- Disease - object - intrusion: Entrance of foreign object may be caused by human/ super-human agency. It carries some spiritual essence which is the real cause of the illness. Object may be a pebble, splinter of wood or bone, a hair, an insect, a lizard or a worm. Extraction is the only curative measure.
- Spirit intrusion: Disease, caused by a spirit, ghost or a demon intrusion. There are 3- curative measures.
- exorcism - ejection by conjuration,
- mechanical extraction, and
- transference
- Exorcism is nearly always practiced together with one or both of the other methods.
Soul or Body (organ) loss: Among the Australian aborigines the abstraction of the kidney fat is held to be a common cause of disease. It may be removed by sorcery which may lead to death. Diagnosis and prognosis are done by divination and curative measures are suggested accordingly. - Dreaming: In the pacific and in the South Western areas of North America, one may dream that one has eaten poisoned foods or that an animal has entered one's body and fallen ill shortly afterwards.
- Independent occurrence: These kinds of diseases can be treated with domestic remedies.
This knowledge about the various concepts of disease and healing in various communities is very essential for a medical practitioner. Anthropological studies provide such information to us. With regard to the direct relationship between anthropology and health, it may be specifically noted that cultural anthropology has exercised a remarkable influence upon the fields of psychiatry and psychosomatics, and many other forms of diseases.
Malinowski (1948) developed the theory of culture in terms of the operating basic and derived needs of the organism.
It appears that the structure of the ego is largely determined by the manner in which these basic needs are satisfied. The function of the ego is to secure adequate satisfaction of basic and secondary needs to maintain the organism in equilibrium. When needs are not adequately satisfied, there is a failure of ego-integration, and psychic-dis-equilibrium of one sort or another results. Similarly, anthropologists had known since long that feelings and somatic functions are closely related.
Accordingly, they had been advocating for psychosomatic Medicine that has been recognized as a branch of Medicine only recently. Psychosomatic functions are culturally organized. Thus, the problems of "Adolescent Sterility" came to the attention of physiologists after the publication of the Sexual Life of the Savages (1929). Thus, the average adolescent sterility period for the white is 3-years, for Dap (New Guinea) 5 years and for the Lepchas 9 years. Further, Margaret Mead's Coming of age in Samoa (1928) demonstrates that stresses and strums during 'adolescing' are largely the consequences of cultural factors peculiar to particular societies. Even otherwise, health cannot be given to the people, nor can it be bought or sold as a commodity. It invariably calls for people's active participation (e.g. life style, food, attitude towards various medical systems). Thus, anthropology can assist more clearly and satisfactorily in identifying the health needs, and in clarifying factors influencing acceptability and utilization of health services, and can also assist in showing how these health needs can be most appropriately solved.
Source: http://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Anthropology/notes/relationships-with-other-disciplines.html
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