NURS1003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Biomedicine, Rheumatism, Pediatrics
Document Summary
Culture is a uniquely human way to make sense of the world, and to give meaning to life, it is both material and ideological and therefore impacts all aspects of life, including health, illness and healthcare. Health professionals need to understand and work with the culture of their societies, disciplines, institutions, patients/clients and colleagues, in order to create good health outcomes. Medical anthropology: how people in different cultures and social groups explain the causes of ill health, the types of treatments they believe in and to whom they turn if they get ill . Is a biocultural discipline because it draws from both the social and natural sciences. Anthropological methodology is useful for research in health science: Participant observation: taking both the insider"s and outsider"s. Depth, detail and context of case studies. Variations in health beliefs and practices in multicultural populations. Significance of health beliefs and practices surrounding pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.
