ANTH 205 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Koryaks, Ethnomedicine, Sex Tourism
Ethnomedicine 11/10/2014 5:20:00 PM
o Sickness and disease are human universals
o Ethnomedicine: information that pertains to theories of disease and forms
of therapy specific to a given culture. Causation- immediate v. ultimate
o EX. Susto (soul loss): culture bound syndrome, heavy disease loaded
• Causes:
o Immediate: fright- soul has been scared away
o Ultimate: witchcraft- concept of limited God
• Susto victims tend to carry at least 4 or 5 different illnesses
o Etic View:
• Rubel: many Susto victims failed at social role performance,
majority of victims being men
• EX. Husband losing business/job and they get depressed; wife
getting left by husband
o Forms of Therapy
• materia medica
o EX. Aztec disease theory: Tonali
o Macpalxochitl “hand-flower tree”
o Trephenation
o Medicinal Plant Species: complex knowledge, origins
• not random or chance> scientific method
• EX. Koryak people in Eastern Siberia, Amanita Muscaria, Muscimol
• EX. Medicinal Plants: often strong alkaloids, protection
• EX. Oxytocic plant: induce labor
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
The Rural and Urban Poor 11/10/2014 5:20:00 PM
o An off-shoot or product of state level societies and market economies>
the world’s have-nots
o Characteristics
• Comprise about 50% of the world’s population
• Infant mortality rates are very high
• Overall health is poor
o Average life expectancy is 40-42 years
• Overall nutrition is very poor
o Mainly comprised of cheap, staple foods and they tend to be
starches; empty calories because they have little or no
nutrients or minerals
• Have little or no autonomy or opportunity
• Extreme poverty
• Unequal distribution of income
o Richest 20% of nations posses 56% of the world’s GDP
o Reasons for underdevelopment
• Geography (land-locked, impossible terrain) climate(too hot, cold,
dry, or humid); lack of arable land or resources
• History of colonization
o In 1914, 70% of the world’s population lived in colonies
o These areas are now major areas for poverty
o Basically stole any basis for establishing an indigenous
economy from the people there
o Rural to Urban Migration and Cultural Lag (major contributing factors)
• EX. Agrarian family ideas
o Penny Capitalism: desperate supply and selective demand
• EX. Guatemalan peasants
• Minimum salaries
• Selling of wares
• International companies and cheap labor
o The New Slavery
• Debt bondage
• Ex. Girl in Brazil
o Father sold her to a broker at age 10; allowed to stay with
parents until brokers came for her; rented out as a sex slave
for 5 years
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• Sexual tourism
o People fro rich countries going to poorer countries for sex or
escorts
o Health Conditions
• Poor public hygiene
• Scrimshaw’s Vicious Cycle: Malnutrition> intestinal parasites>
diarrhea> weakening of the immune system> infectious diseases
• Epidemics: AIDS, tropical diseases
• Lack of adequate medical care
• Infant feeding practice
o Breastfeeding typically not common; usually bad nutrition
keeps them from breastfeeding; infants usually fed with
formula
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
11/10/2014 5:20:00 pm: sickness and disease are human universals, ethnomedicine: information that pertains to theories of disease and forms of therapy specific to a given culture. Husband losing business/job and they get depressed; wife getting left by husband: forms of therapy, materia medica, ex. Aztec disease theory: tonali: macpalxochitl hand-flower tree , trephenation, medicinal plant species: complex knowledge, origins, not random or chance> scientific method, ex. Koryak people in eastern siberia, amanita muscaria, muscimol: ex. Medicinal plants: often strong alkaloids, protection: ex. Agrarian family ideas: penny capitalism: desperate supply and selective demand, ex. Guatemalan peasants: minimum salaries, selling of wares, international companies and cheap labor, the new slavery, debt bondage, ex. 11/10/2014 5:20:00 pm: disease is never random> it is always patterned, ex. Health problems in the us today v. 100 years ago; infectious v. chronic: native americans and trauma, 4 categories of variables of disease patterning, environmental, ex.
