1. Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Biomedical Anthropology
Ariel Apple, Alison Steinbacher
Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University
Purposed Solutions
Abstract
This poster presents an examination of interdisciplinary perspectives in biomedical
anthropology, addressing the root causes of medical problems and the lack
of anthropological perspectives in healthcare. Through an interdisciplinary and applied
perspective, this poster suggests how to make medical and biological fields more holistic
by applying theoretical biomedical anthropological ideas to applied medical
practice. Such ideas include an upstream approach to health, ways to fix structural
violence in healthcare, and addressing why basic needs aren't being met by the healthcare
system in certain populations. Through this holistic perspective,
we propose different ways to take the theoretical concepts of biomedical anthropology
and apply them to the biological and medical fields, creating a symbiosis between all
practitioners of biological and medical fields, including anthropologists.
References
Introduction Conclusions
Problems Within Current
Biomedical Anthropology
Medical Anthropology
This subfield draws on all major disciplines within
anthropology, and is used to study health and
illness through the cultural lenses of different
populations and societies. It plays close attention
to distribution of disease, research, distribution of
health resources, and general knowledge of
health (McMahan and Nichter 2011:674).
Applied Anthropology
As defined by the Society for Applied
Anthropology, “Scientific investigation of the
principles controlling the relations of human
beings to one another, and the encouragement of
the wide application of these principles to practical
problems (Making Anthropology Public 2008).”
Interdisciplinary Approaches
These perspectives use history, psychology,
sociology, biology, medicine, physiology, and
other disciplines to define a holistic perspective of,
in our case, a health situation (Making
Anthropology Public 2008).
• Anthropologists do not always work
as advocates for communities
• Anthropologists used as advocates
for medical personnel as well as the
culture they are working with
• Political entities and physicians have
a misunderstanding or no knowledge
of what medical anthropologists do
• Problems are found and solutions
are purposed, but not implemented
in an applied way.
• Research and social health
information is not accessible to other
disciplines or to the greater public;
reductionist viewpoint
• Few universities teach applied
anthropology or have an applied
emphasis
• Anthropology is viewed by the
medical community as a “soft”
science and therefore less credible
than other medical ideologies.
Understanding
of Illness
Physician
Anthropologist
Patient and
their Culture
• Changing Access of information to a more
global scale, making it more accessible to
the general public
• Use more theories and models from other
disciplines; holistic perspective
• Education of medical anthropology to the
medical community
• Explanatory models of cultural competence
within healthcare, along with evidence
based practice
• Participatory Research and Methods:
demystify medical knowledge
• Education of health organizations and
health professionals on the uses and
benefits of medical and applied practices
• New approaches to healthcare: focusing
less on the symptoms of illness and more
on the root sociological causes of illness
There is a call for applied and medical anthropology
practices to become more holistic and advocacy
oriented. A healthcare system in our current model
remains disconnected with the society it resides in and
the cultures/subcultures within these communities. As
such, biomedical interventions into the health realm of
the individual can be harmful if not done in a culturally
responsible way. It is the medical anthropologists duty
and role to intervene as a cultural broker for the
individual and society’s health status. Anthropologists
should facilitate a connection between policy and
healthcare providers and the patient to assist in global
health issues. Anthropologists should focus on
highlighting their unique perspective and role in the
medical field, along with the immense need for facilitated
change in the medical realm.
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