The ethnomedical approach explains how illness is identified, understood, and treated within particular cultural context. Ethnomedical studies continue to look at the production of medical knowledge and the actors involved in the healing process (Karim, Lecture 3.1). This approach contains six major areas of research, which include healing practices, models of health and sickness, how people discuss the illness, health-seeking behaviors, how successful the healing part is, and comparing this system with others. All different cultures have various systems that work better for them and it is the anthropologists’ job to find out which system fits that culture better. Culture is very important within the ethnomedical approach. If we do not understand the culture of the illness, than we will not be able to fully understand how to fix or heal it. For example, in some societies, ADHD may be viewed differently than others. One culture may believe that a certain symptom of ADHD was normal and there is nothing wrong, where as another culture might believe that it is completely abnormal and needs to be fixed. What is socially acceptable happens to be the key component here.
According to medical anthropologist Arthur Kleinman, we can identify three general overlapping sectors of healthcare, including the folk, popular, and professional sectors. Whatever sector you turn to has to do with your own understanding of the illness. The popular sector is when the illness is first recognized. You would then get advise from friends and family and this would be outside medical facilities. The folk sector has to do with healers that are sacred or secular, such as shamans. They share the cultural values of society meaning that they view this illness the same way that society does. Lastly, the professional sector is comprised of legally sanctioned health professionals. Doctors are referred to as the gatekeepers of knowledge and treatments. Above is a video of whether or not kids should be given ADHD medications. Should they be going to a doctor to treat their symptoms with Adderall or another stimulant? Or should they be going about this by other means? This is a widely discussed topic because many people believe that they shouldn’t be giving their kids medication and that it is a poison and it is discussed in the video above.
Another way of looking at the ethnomedical approach is by looking at the various ways that the body can be conceptualized in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A person who has been diagnosed with ADHD may start to become paranoid of their condition, which could affect them mentally. A child might feel like he/she has to be hyper all the time because that is what their condition is or even use ADHD as an excuse to be hyper. There is also a social aspect to ADHD such as what a child should act like with this illness or what their expectations are. There are many different factors involved in the disease of ADHD and the enthnomedical approach is one way to look at it.
Sources:
"ADHD Drugs: Medication or Poison? Truth About Psych Drugs for Kids Mental Health | The Truth Talks." YouTube. Accessed July 28, 2014.
"Sedate the Boys: Concerns ADHD Is Overdiagnosed - Hindustan Times." Http://www.hindustantimes.com/. Accessed July 28, 2014.
According to medical anthropologist Arthur Kleinman, we can identify three general overlapping sectors of healthcare, including the folk, popular, and professional sectors. Whatever sector you turn to has to do with your own understanding of the illness. The popular sector is when the illness is first recognized. You would then get advise from friends and family and this would be outside medical facilities. The folk sector has to do with healers that are sacred or secular, such as shamans. They share the cultural values of society meaning that they view this illness the same way that society does. Lastly, the professional sector is comprised of legally sanctioned health professionals. Doctors are referred to as the gatekeepers of knowledge and treatments. Above is a video of whether or not kids should be given ADHD medications. Should they be going to a doctor to treat their symptoms with Adderall or another stimulant? Or should they be going about this by other means? This is a widely discussed topic because many people believe that they shouldn’t be giving their kids medication and that it is a poison and it is discussed in the video above.
Another way of looking at the ethnomedical approach is by looking at the various ways that the body can be conceptualized in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. A person who has been diagnosed with ADHD may start to become paranoid of their condition, which could affect them mentally. A child might feel like he/she has to be hyper all the time because that is what their condition is or even use ADHD as an excuse to be hyper. There is also a social aspect to ADHD such as what a child should act like with this illness or what their expectations are. There are many different factors involved in the disease of ADHD and the enthnomedical approach is one way to look at it.
Sources:
"ADHD Drugs: Medication or Poison? Truth About Psych Drugs for Kids Mental Health | The Truth Talks." YouTube. Accessed July 28, 2014.
"Sedate the Boys: Concerns ADHD Is Overdiagnosed - Hindustan Times." Http://www.hindustantimes.com/. Accessed July 28, 2014.