The Ethnomedical Approach
The ethnomedical approach looks at how a specific society values and understands an illness or disease. Anthropologists that use this approach also use this to analyze how a population interprets the treatments available to them and which ones will be most appropriate for a disease or illness. Many populations have various health models used for treating specific symptoms of disease. Examples of these models include traditional medicine like sorcery, herbal remedies, or medicine men in local villages. There are other models of more modern medicine like western medicine which has more of a reliance on access to prescription medicines and procedures. Using the ethnomedical approach also deals with determining which treatments are actually effective. Looking at acupuncture, massage therapy, or chemical drugs and weighing the risk factors and bennefits is something that is important in this branch of anthropology (Karim).
Culture is very important in this approach because every population looks at medicine and a disease like lupus in different ways. In one part of the world the people could look at lupus as just being an imbalance of some environmental factor. In another part of the world lupus could be seen as being a genetic mutation. Even with the modern medicine we have in the United States systemic lupus erythematosus is not fully understood and we do not know the cause 100%. If an illness is not contextualized then medical professionals will not know how to approach the society and learn how they will accept a certain standard for treatments.
Kleinman looks at how a person explains their illness and how it makes them feel about the expectations for their symptoms. If a physician knows a little more about how someone perceive their disease then they will know how to approach them. If someone is extremely anxious then the physician will need to alter their tone or words to accommodate for this in hopes that their reaction is appropriate. Asking probing questions like:What do you think has caused your problem, is a way for medical anthropologists to get to the bottom of the mystery of how people perceive their illness (Kleinman).
Traditional medicine is a large part of what the ethnomedical approach looks at. Something I enjoyed watching is the video at the top of the page because it talks a little about these methods that people try to use to control their symptoms. I found it very important for people to have access to this because there is no real cure for lupus. Controlling flare ups and managing symptoms is most important for this disease. In another case for other diseases the most important thing may not be traditional medicine it could be the pill used to cure it. This is why taking a look at many approaches in anthropology is important for systemic lupus erythematosus (Jones).
Bibliography:
Karim, Taz. "Week 1: Lecture 1." ANP 204 Introduction to Medical Anthropology Summer 2014 Week 1 Lecture 1 Comments. Accessed August 14, 2014.
Kleinman, A. "Achieving Cultural Competency: A Case-Based Approach to Training Health ProfessionalsPublished Online: 27 APR 2009." Appendix 2: Kleinman's Explanatory Model of Illness. January 1, 1978. Accessed August 14, 2014.
Jones, Jessica. "Natural Alternatives Lupus Cure." YouTube. May 20, 2013. Accessed August 14, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCLRKSjlhis.
Culture is very important in this approach because every population looks at medicine and a disease like lupus in different ways. In one part of the world the people could look at lupus as just being an imbalance of some environmental factor. In another part of the world lupus could be seen as being a genetic mutation. Even with the modern medicine we have in the United States systemic lupus erythematosus is not fully understood and we do not know the cause 100%. If an illness is not contextualized then medical professionals will not know how to approach the society and learn how they will accept a certain standard for treatments.
Kleinman looks at how a person explains their illness and how it makes them feel about the expectations for their symptoms. If a physician knows a little more about how someone perceive their disease then they will know how to approach them. If someone is extremely anxious then the physician will need to alter their tone or words to accommodate for this in hopes that their reaction is appropriate. Asking probing questions like:What do you think has caused your problem, is a way for medical anthropologists to get to the bottom of the mystery of how people perceive their illness (Kleinman).
Traditional medicine is a large part of what the ethnomedical approach looks at. Something I enjoyed watching is the video at the top of the page because it talks a little about these methods that people try to use to control their symptoms. I found it very important for people to have access to this because there is no real cure for lupus. Controlling flare ups and managing symptoms is most important for this disease. In another case for other diseases the most important thing may not be traditional medicine it could be the pill used to cure it. This is why taking a look at many approaches in anthropology is important for systemic lupus erythematosus (Jones).
Bibliography:
Karim, Taz. "Week 1: Lecture 1." ANP 204 Introduction to Medical Anthropology Summer 2014 Week 1 Lecture 1 Comments. Accessed August 14, 2014.
Kleinman, A. "Achieving Cultural Competency: A Case-Based Approach to Training Health ProfessionalsPublished Online: 27 APR 2009." Appendix 2: Kleinman's Explanatory Model of Illness. January 1, 1978. Accessed August 14, 2014.
Jones, Jessica. "Natural Alternatives Lupus Cure." YouTube. May 20, 2013. Accessed August 14, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCLRKSjlhis.