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QUESTION 2
“One of the most important functions of medical anthropology is precisely to question the
conventional and universal value and significance of biomedicine” (Unisa 2023:12). Considering
the above statement and other functions of the field, discuss the relevance of anthropology of
health (also known as medical anthropology) in understanding health, healing and medical
systems in western and indigenous societies. Applying examples and case studies from the
module will benefit your discussion.
Introduction
Medical anthropology, often referred to as the anthropology of health, is the comparative study of
health, healing, illness, and medical systems across cultures. It interrogates how different societies
conceptualize well-being, disease, and treatment, thereby expanding the understanding of health
beyond biomedical definitions. As Unisa (2023:12) highlights, “one of the most important functions
of medical anthropology is precisely to question the conventional and universal value and
significance of biomedicine.” This statement underscores the discipline’s central task: to expose
biomedicine not as a neutral, universal system, but as a culturally and historically situated practice.
By focusing on lived experience, cultural meanings, and social inequalities, medical anthropology
provides insights into the pluralism of health systems in both Western and indigenous societies. It
examines how illness is experienced, narrated, and managed differently depending on context, and
how systems of healing—whether biomedical or traditional—reflect underlying cultural logics. This
essay argues that medical anthropology is indispensable for understanding health and healing
because it challenges biomedical universalism, highlights the relevance of indigenous knowledge,
and critiques the political and cultural dimensions of Western medicine. In doing so, it demonstrates
that health is not merely biological, but deeply entangled with identity, power, and culture.
Challenging the Universality of Biomedicine
Biomedicine is often framed as the dominant and “universal” approach to health, built on scientific
rationality and technological advancement. However, medical anthropology demonstrates that
biomedicine itself is a cultural system, shaped by Western historical, philosophical, and political
contexts (Kleinman 1980). It privileges reductionism—separating the body from the mind and
focusing narrowly on biological mechanisms—while neglecting the broader social and cultural
dimensions of illness.
A central critique is the medicalization of everyday life, where natural processes such as childbirth,
aging, or menopause are pathologized as medical problems requiring intervention (Conrad 2007).
While biomedicine frames health issues primarily in terms of physiology, medical anthropology
reveals how people experience illness as a blend of social, spiritual, and emotional suffering. For
instance, depression is typically described in biomedical terms as a “chemical imbalance” requiring
pharmacological treatment. In contrast, among the Maya, emotional distress is frequently expressed
through somatic symptoms, such as stomach pains, and addressed through community and spiritual
healing rituals (Unisa 2023).
This contrast demonstrates that illness is not solely a biological disruption but a cultural and social
phenomenon. Biomedicine’s claim to universality can also obscure local understandings of suffering,
leading to ineffective or alienating care. By exposing the cultural assumptions embedded within
biomedicine, medical anthropology highlights the need for pluralistic approaches to health that
respect diverse explanatory models.
QUESTION 2
“One of the most important functions of medical anthropology is precisely to question the
conventional and universal value and significance of biomedicine” (Unisa 2023:12). Considering
the above statement and other functions of the field, discuss the relevance of anthropology of
health (also known as medical anthropology) in understanding health, healing and medical
systems in western and indigenous societies. Applying examples and case studies from the
module will benefit your discussion.
Introduction
Medical anthropology, often referred to as the anthropology of health, is the comparative study of
health, healing, illness, and medical systems across cultures. It interrogates how different societies
conceptualize well-being, disease, and treatment, thereby expanding the understanding of health
beyond biomedical definitions. As Unisa (2023:12) highlights, “one of the most important functions
of medical anthropology is precisely to question the conventional and universal value and
significance of biomedicine.” This statement underscores the discipline’s central task: to expose
biomedicine not as a neutral, universal system, but as a culturally and historically situated practice.
By focusing on lived experience, cultural meanings, and social inequalities, medical anthropology
provides insights into the pluralism of health systems in both Western and indigenous societies. It
examines how illness is experienced, narrated, and managed differently depending on context, and
how systems of healing—whether biomedical or traditional—reflect underlying cultural logics. This
essay argues that medical anthropology is indispensable for understanding health and healing
because it challenges biomedical universalism, highlights the relevance of indigenous knowledge,
and critiques the political and cultural dimensions of Western medicine. In doing so, it demonstrates
that health is not merely biological, but deeply entangled with identity, power, and culture.
Challenging the Universality of Biomedicine
Biomedicine is often framed as the dominant and “universal” approach to health, built on scientific
rationality and technological advancement. However, medical anthropology demonstrates that
biomedicine itself is a cultural system, shaped by Western historical, philosophical, and political
contexts (Kleinman 1980). It privileges reductionism—separating the body from the mind and
focusing narrowly on biological mechanisms—while neglecting the broader social and cultural
dimensions of illness.
A central critique is the medicalization of everyday life, where natural processes such as childbirth,
aging, or menopause are pathologized as medical problems requiring intervention (Conrad 2007).
While biomedicine frames health issues primarily in terms of physiology, medical anthropology
reveals how people experience illness as a blend of social, spiritual, and emotional suffering. For
instance, depression is typically described in biomedical terms as a “chemical imbalance” requiring
pharmacological treatment. In contrast, among the Maya, emotional distress is frequently expressed
through somatic symptoms, such as stomach pains, and addressed through community and spiritual
healing rituals (Unisa 2023).
This contrast demonstrates that illness is not solely a biological disruption but a cultural and social
phenomenon. Biomedicine’s claim to universality can also obscure local understandings of suffering,
leading to ineffective or alienating care. By exposing the cultural assumptions embedded within
biomedicine, medical anthropology highlights the need for pluralistic approaches to health that
respect diverse explanatory models.
