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Medical Anthropology and the World System
Medical anthropology is one of the youngest and most dynamic of anthropology's various subdisciplines. Critical medical anthropology has evolved into one of the major perspectives through which faculty and students study the field. It examines health-related issues in precapitalist indigenous and state societies, capitalist societies, and postrevolutionary of socialist-oriented societies. While critical medical anthropology draws heavily on neo-Marxian, critical, and world systems theoretical perspectives, it attempts to incorporate the theoretical contributions of other systems in medical anthropology, including biocultural or medical ecology, ethnomedical approaches, cultural constructivism, poststructuralism, and postmodernism. This is the first textbook to incorporate this perspective.
The first part of the book is a discussion of the central concepts in, and the development and scope of, medical anthropology, as well as the critical perspective employed. The second part explores health and the environment, as well as the social origins of specific health problems. A third part highlights the diversity of medical systems in different societies, and a fourth part argues for a merger of theory and social action.
The first part of the book is a discussion of the central concepts in, and the development and scope of, medical anthropology, as well as the critical perspective employed. The second part explores health and the environment, as well as the social origins of specific health problems. A third part highlights the diversity of medical systems in different societies, and a fourth part argues for a merger of theory and social action.
- GenresAnthropology
440 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 19, 2025
This book is only 54 pages and does not have as much terminology as I expected. I have no professional relationship with medical anthropology, but this book might also expand your mind on health systems.
The writer does not explain the roots of psychological problems, but my interpretation is that illness often begins long before the body shows symptoms. Chronic stress, disconnection, and loss of meaning gradually shape how our immune, hormonal, and emotional systems function. Yet, our healthcare systems rarely address this invisible layer. When the healthcare system becomes a market, not a collective good, anxiety, exhaustion, and alienation are normalized. In that sense, many psychological struggles are not individual “disorders”. they are logical responses to social and structural imbalance. As medical anthropologists in this book have shown, some societies understand the human body by using separation, whereas others have holistic approaches.
I love this book and already wrote about it. If you would like to hear more from my side, check my Medium article: https://medium.com/@ozge.ynbl/east-an...
The writer does not explain the roots of psychological problems, but my interpretation is that illness often begins long before the body shows symptoms. Chronic stress, disconnection, and loss of meaning gradually shape how our immune, hormonal, and emotional systems function. Yet, our healthcare systems rarely address this invisible layer. When the healthcare system becomes a market, not a collective good, anxiety, exhaustion, and alienation are normalized. In that sense, many psychological struggles are not individual “disorders”. they are logical responses to social and structural imbalance. As medical anthropologists in this book have shown, some societies understand the human body by using separation, whereas others have holistic approaches.
I love this book and already wrote about it. If you would like to hear more from my side, check my Medium article: https://medium.com/@ozge.ynbl/east-an...
December 11, 2007
What can I say...I love med anthro
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews