ANT 2410 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Infant Mortality, Ayurveda, American Medical Association
30 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
M12- Medical Anthropology
The 2009 Swine Flu Epidemic
Mexico closes schools, empties streets and people wore surgical masks, despite swine flu
is often spread by hand shake
The United States: CDC and White House update on the situation everyday; Anti-
immigration politicians used it as an argument for closing the US-Mexican border
China stopped accepting American and Mexican pork, despite the fact that swine flu has
nothing to do with pigs
Egypt kills all pigs in the nation, only affects Coptic Christians who are stigmatized
Making sense of biological and cultural factors
How important is biology in the face of cultural effects on the individual
The idea of biological destiny is met with questions
We are biocultural beings
Approaches to bioculture:
External factors (including social context and culture) change cognitive processes from
culture to culture and individual to individual
Cultural practices could alter mental development
Psychology
Culturally defined
What is abnormal is different based on socially accepted norms
Mental Illness
Some illness are culture-bound, as in they are specific to a culture
Examples:
China and SE Asian cultures: koro, a male believes his genitalia are shrinking and
possibly disappearing
Homosexuality was a mental illness until 1974 and was a justification for not
allowing immigration into the US until 1990
There are socially, culturally appropriate treatments for each mental illness
Health and Illness
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Mexico closes schools, empties streets and people wore surgical masks, despite swine flu is often spread by hand shake. The united states: cdc and white house update on the situation everyday; anti- immigration politicians used it as an argument for closing the us-mexican border. China stopped accepting american and mexican pork, despite the fact that swine flu has nothing to do with pigs. Egypt kills all pigs in the nation, only affects coptic christians who are stigmatized. How important is biology in the face of cultural effects on the individual. The idea of biological destiny is met with questions. External factors (including social context and culture) change cognitive processes from culture to culture and individual to individual. What is abnormal is different based on socially accepted norms. Some illness are culture-bound, as in they are specific to a culture. China and se asian cultures: koro, a male believes his genitalia are shrinking and possibly disappearing.
