HLSC 2P21 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Sildenafil, Social Perception, Health Professional
13 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Understanding of the etiology of disease and the way of treating them has varied historically and culturally. Sacred: objects and ideas that have been assigned a religious or a transcendent meaning. Profane: objects and ideas that lack sacred meaning. Exposure to dangers, restricted objects, or practices violating these agreements were bans that resulted in sickness. Sickness was seen as a moral problem, punishment for breaking social/religious norm. Treatment for sickness did not have to be directed at the body of the individual but rather on punishment for the violation of a ban. Whole community cleansing ritual rather than an individual one. With the emergence of med science, disease was redefined as a physiological pathology located within the human body. As med knowledge advanced, the body was fragmented into parts no longer being seen as as one single entity. Biomedical, reductionist perspective functioned by isolating the sick part from other parts of the body and treating it.
