Non Western Medical Anthropology
Some people may argue that there is nothing more frustrating in life than not getting the proper medical treatment that is the most effective and beneficial to you. In fact a lot of people may feel this way, and that is partly to do with the fact that the medical community has been dominated by Western societies which create little room for any other form of medical treatment. This problem can be solved by allowing anthropologists to be available within highly established medical institutions, whether it is in a large city hospital or in a local clinic. One step to solving this issue begins with understanding what the role of an anthropologist is.
Anthropologists deal with all things concerning humans by integrating concepts that appeal to …show more content…
A medical anthropologist (MA) has the job of looking at medicine with a cross-cultural perspective and drawing conclusions on how different cultures define and use medicine. They also try to understand how cultures define disease, illness, and sickness, as well as how people from various cultures diagnose and treat illnesses. By understanding how medicine varies across cultures, we can have a more open-minded outlook on how to treat and diagnose people within a global …show more content…
In other words, some people may think that the patient would be better off if they were to take a prescription pill or get surgery for their ailment, rather than if they were to take herbal medicines and get acupuncture. This is not to say that one side completely disregards the other, it just means that there is a bias within the biomedical community that can be close-minded to other forms of treatment. If the patient were to be aware of all their treatment options, including alternative medicine, then they could be exposed to various forms of treatments and decide for themselves what they believe would be the best health care choice. This can be done by having the medical practitioner ask what the patient wants out of their health care (Kleinman, 2006), or by having access to a clinical
Anthropologists deal with all things concerning humans by integrating concepts that appeal to …show more content…
A medical anthropologist (MA) has the job of looking at medicine with a cross-cultural perspective and drawing conclusions on how different cultures define and use medicine. They also try to understand how cultures define disease, illness, and sickness, as well as how people from various cultures diagnose and treat illnesses. By understanding how medicine varies across cultures, we can have a more open-minded outlook on how to treat and diagnose people within a global …show more content…
In other words, some people may think that the patient would be better off if they were to take a prescription pill or get surgery for their ailment, rather than if they were to take herbal medicines and get acupuncture. This is not to say that one side completely disregards the other, it just means that there is a bias within the biomedical community that can be close-minded to other forms of treatment. If the patient were to be aware of all their treatment options, including alternative medicine, then they could be exposed to various forms of treatments and decide for themselves what they believe would be the best health care choice. This can be done by having the medical practitioner ask what the patient wants out of their health care (Kleinman, 2006), or by having access to a clinical