Anthropology is the "science of humanity" and includes studying biology, evolution, culture and society (Britannica Website).
Medical anthropology is a specialized area of study and can be defined as the "study of human health and disease, healthcare systems and bio cultural adaptation (Wikipedia website). William Halse RIvers (1864-1922), a physician and experimental psychologist, stated that "the practice of medicine is a social process..." an for this reason, humans and disease should be studied together (Joralemon, 2010: 7)
The 4 areas of the field of anthropology include:
Medical anthropology is a subfield of social/cultural anthropology (Britannica Website).
Areas of focus for medical anthropologists include:
Cultural Competency is an understanding and respect of the cultural beliefs of other people. A culturally competent person must first recognize that there are differences between cultures and, in medicine, this means that people will have different beliefs in regard to cause of illness as well as effective and acceptable treatment for disease. Cultural competency in medicine must also include an understanding of health and healing and wellness among cultures (National Institute of Health Website).
Medical anthropology is a specialized area of study and can be defined as the "study of human health and disease, healthcare systems and bio cultural adaptation (Wikipedia website). William Halse RIvers (1864-1922), a physician and experimental psychologist, stated that "the practice of medicine is a social process..." an for this reason, humans and disease should be studied together (Joralemon, 2010: 7)
The 4 areas of the field of anthropology include:
- Physical anthropology
- Archeological anthropology
- Linguistic anthropology
- Social/cultural anthropology
Medical anthropology is a subfield of social/cultural anthropology (Britannica Website).
Areas of focus for medical anthropologists include:
- physician/patient relationships
- promoting appropriate medical systems in culturally diverse areas
- helping to create systems of effective medical knowledge and care within communities
- study of social, biological and environmental factors influence disease and health in diverse communities
- determine how biomedicine impacts healthcare in underdeveloped countries
Cultural Competency is an understanding and respect of the cultural beliefs of other people. A culturally competent person must first recognize that there are differences between cultures and, in medicine, this means that people will have different beliefs in regard to cause of illness as well as effective and acceptable treatment for disease. Cultural competency in medicine must also include an understanding of health and healing and wellness among cultures (National Institute of Health Website).