Social Anthropology 222: Introduction to
Medical Anthropology
Week 1: Introduction - Defining Health and Illness in Anthropology
What is Anthropology:
• Anthropology is “a social science that involves the study of human groups and their
behaviour: their interactions with each other, and with the material environment. Most
anthropologists study contemporary societies (or smaller groups within them), although in
some countries anthropology also includes archaeology and the study of past societies. 3 It
sits alongside related social sciences like sociology (which tends to be more quantitative),
and psychology (which focuses more on individuals).” (Strang, 2009: 4)
What makes Anthropology Unique:
• Critical Analysis/ Comparison
o Allows Anthropology to understand diversity in all its forms by documenting different
ways of life and applying the "archive of social possibilities" to social justice and
transformation
o e.g. gender, socioeconomic inequality, etc
• Participant Observation
o long, in-depth fieldwork that allows Anthropology to develop
o The “insider’s perspective” by learning from our interlocutors through participating
in their activities (seeing the world from the other’s perspective)
o Provide detailed descriptions and deep analysis in “ethnographies
Scope of Anthropology:
• "Anthropology tries to achieve an understanding of culture, society and humanity
through detailed studies of local life.” (Eriksen 2004: 7)
Anthropology is the study of diversity
• Focuses on critical analysis/comparison
• Allows anthropologists to understand:
o Diversity in all its forms
o Documenting different ways of life
o Differences and sameness
, o (Concepts of othering and exotification)
• Edward Said: orientalism is an example
• Study allows anthropologists to apply "archive of social possibilities" to social justice and
transformation efforts
o Examples: socio economic inequality factor, gender roles, etc
• Job of anthropologists
o documenting life as to understand different ways of life present throughout history
and in contemporary society
• Concept of positionality is tackled
o An individual's position and the influence of that position on the external view
• Anthropology as an academic field
o Started out in the early 1900s focusing on what makes people different
▪ Different cultures from other lands
o Origins start out in muddy waters
▪ Colonialism, exotification, racism
• 1980s: the field took a reflexive turn focused on the introspection of the field itself
o And how the field affects that which is being studied and what it influences
Types of Anthropology:
• social anthropology
• cultural anthropology
• political anthropology
• economic anthropology
• the anthropology of religion
• biological anthropology
• medical anthropology
• environmental anthropology
, What is Ethnography? What is Theory?
• Two key things that underpin any science: theory and method.
• Theory is a tool to filter what you find in your study through an established normative lens.
o E.g. Michel Foucault.
• The anthropological method is fundamentally comparative and contextual and
ethnography seeks to presents the complexity of human diversity.
Hypothesis + evidence = critical argument
• Participant observation is key
• Long in-depth fieldwork that allows anthropology to develop
• Insider perspective: by learning from our interlocutors through participating in their
activities
• Provide detailed descriptions and analysis in ethnographies
o such as detailed studies of local life
Fieldwork and Participant Observation:
• Research: systematic production of knowledge
a. Preparation: reading, defining topic and research questions (what do I want to find
about?)
b. Fieldwork: long-term field study to develop as intimate an understanding as possible
of the phenomenon and group investigated = the most important source of new
knowledge about culture and society
Participant Observation:
• Field Work Consists of:
o Participant observation -
• Forms the basis of anthropological field research
o Aim: to make sense of people’s experiences, using their own everyday categories
(cultural relativism!)
o Method: Observe with all senses while participating in local life as fully as possible
o Long-term: Become a natural (‘fly on the wall’)
o Learning inside-out: immersion to learn the locals’ ways of doing things and how they
make meaning
o Informal: participate, informal conversations
Medical Anthropology
Week 1: Introduction - Defining Health and Illness in Anthropology
What is Anthropology:
• Anthropology is “a social science that involves the study of human groups and their
behaviour: their interactions with each other, and with the material environment. Most
anthropologists study contemporary societies (or smaller groups within them), although in
some countries anthropology also includes archaeology and the study of past societies. 3 It
sits alongside related social sciences like sociology (which tends to be more quantitative),
and psychology (which focuses more on individuals).” (Strang, 2009: 4)
What makes Anthropology Unique:
• Critical Analysis/ Comparison
o Allows Anthropology to understand diversity in all its forms by documenting different
ways of life and applying the "archive of social possibilities" to social justice and
transformation
o e.g. gender, socioeconomic inequality, etc
• Participant Observation
o long, in-depth fieldwork that allows Anthropology to develop
o The “insider’s perspective” by learning from our interlocutors through participating
in their activities (seeing the world from the other’s perspective)
o Provide detailed descriptions and deep analysis in “ethnographies
Scope of Anthropology:
• "Anthropology tries to achieve an understanding of culture, society and humanity
through detailed studies of local life.” (Eriksen 2004: 7)
Anthropology is the study of diversity
• Focuses on critical analysis/comparison
• Allows anthropologists to understand:
o Diversity in all its forms
o Documenting different ways of life
o Differences and sameness
, o (Concepts of othering and exotification)
• Edward Said: orientalism is an example
• Study allows anthropologists to apply "archive of social possibilities" to social justice and
transformation efforts
o Examples: socio economic inequality factor, gender roles, etc
• Job of anthropologists
o documenting life as to understand different ways of life present throughout history
and in contemporary society
• Concept of positionality is tackled
o An individual's position and the influence of that position on the external view
• Anthropology as an academic field
o Started out in the early 1900s focusing on what makes people different
▪ Different cultures from other lands
o Origins start out in muddy waters
▪ Colonialism, exotification, racism
• 1980s: the field took a reflexive turn focused on the introspection of the field itself
o And how the field affects that which is being studied and what it influences
Types of Anthropology:
• social anthropology
• cultural anthropology
• political anthropology
• economic anthropology
• the anthropology of religion
• biological anthropology
• medical anthropology
• environmental anthropology
, What is Ethnography? What is Theory?
• Two key things that underpin any science: theory and method.
• Theory is a tool to filter what you find in your study through an established normative lens.
o E.g. Michel Foucault.
• The anthropological method is fundamentally comparative and contextual and
ethnography seeks to presents the complexity of human diversity.
Hypothesis + evidence = critical argument
• Participant observation is key
• Long in-depth fieldwork that allows anthropology to develop
• Insider perspective: by learning from our interlocutors through participating in their
activities
• Provide detailed descriptions and analysis in ethnographies
o such as detailed studies of local life
Fieldwork and Participant Observation:
• Research: systematic production of knowledge
a. Preparation: reading, defining topic and research questions (what do I want to find
about?)
b. Fieldwork: long-term field study to develop as intimate an understanding as possible
of the phenomenon and group investigated = the most important source of new
knowledge about culture and society
Participant Observation:
• Field Work Consists of:
o Participant observation -
• Forms the basis of anthropological field research
o Aim: to make sense of people’s experiences, using their own everyday categories
(cultural relativism!)
o Method: Observe with all senses while participating in local life as fully as possible
o Long-term: Become a natural (‘fly on the wall’)
o Learning inside-out: immersion to learn the locals’ ways of doing things and how they
make meaning
o Informal: participate, informal conversations
