Medicine and Culture

by Lynn Payer

A classic comparative study of medicine and national culture, Medicine and Culture shows us that while doctors regard themselves as servants of science, they are often prisoners of custom.

Genres: Anthropology, Medicine, Nonfiction, Health, Sociology

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 1996

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 'must read' for anyone who thinks their doctor is always right. This book really opened my eyes to the understanding that doctors are highly influenced by culture and that there are many different options for disease treatments--despite what your doctor may tell you. Once again, we must own our own bodies and take responsibility for our own health!

[Emma Hinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lynn payer was a scientific writer who worked across different cultures and in this book she describes the medical culture of France, the UK, West Germany (this book was written in the 1980s), and the US. Her premise is that: 'our medicine is not the inevitable result of medical progress but of choices - concious or not - that arise from our own cultural bias.'

I found this book absolutely fascinating and even though it's out of date, a lot of her examples and arguments held true. The whole description of American medicine being much more aggressive than others and Americans chasing for something to be done made a lot of sense from what I've experienced in American medicine.

[Philip Magcalas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Payer proposes an engaging, if imperfect, discussion regarding the variations of medicine and health in general between cultures. It is incomplete, if only by virtue of the fact that to tackle the topic with all its due diligence would result in a series of books each the size fo the complete Oxford English Dictionary. However, in its form, it prompts vital discussion, relating to our own perceptions and "knowledge" of both the purpose and practice of medicine.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting read! I thought the book was insightful into the cultural differences between seemingly similar Western countries in how they view the human body and medicine. Though there are wide assumptions made on groups of people that are quite stereotypical, I think the generalizations were justified to make the broader point in that we all have a little bit to learn from other countries in how the treat the human body and disease.

[Hawkgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book is now thirty years old, reading some of the descriptions and critiques of modern, American medicine via comments from non-American physicians in this book, you can see the threads of how modern, American-medicine culture and strategy has contributed to the current opioid crisis and how iatrogenic treatment became the third cause of death in the US. France, Germany, and the UK don't currently have opioid crises. Reading this book unintentionally made me understand why.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evaluates and compares how "medicine" is done in France, Germany, Great Britain and the USA. Very informative and enlightening. I had no idea that there were such drastic differences. I thought medical science should be rational, but this book demonstrates how culture impacts medical practice, and not always for the good.

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read, a little dated at this point d: also, while she writes fairly well, she isn’t a doctor or health care professional (though she is a sort of medical journalist), and sometimes it shows in her writing. Her “take away points” of sorts at the end of the chapter are kinda silly, but her research is interesting and it’s a topic I’d love to learn more about.

[Saaya Morton]

vaguely interesting but very outdated - i can see why it was assigned for lampl’s class but honestly would not pick this up on my own (could not finish bc it is very dry and not organized)

[Laura Constance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. Lost me a little towards the end but I found it insightful.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating review of how medical systems differ between four modern, westernized countries. You’d expect medical diagnosis and treatment to be very much the same, but in fact they are quite different.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but a bit outdated.

[Sandy Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and engaging but keep in mind she is a journalist and she uses a lot of her own illness narrative to explain her observations.
But great for people to be aware of cultural competency.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was short and straightforward, and surely a bit simplified, but fascinating.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading for graduate class i was taking. Very interesting and sometimes funny.