ANTR-3087EL Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Biomedicine, Ethnomedicine, Medicalization
Document Summary
Gaining visibility, acceptance and is integrated (to an extent) in mainstream health systems. Mainstream health systems: biomedicine , medicine based on biology and science, Allopathy/allopathic , used by cam to refer to biomedicine as healing based on pharmacological, active agents or physical interventions, regular , mainstream , or. Historical biomedicine did not dominate as the primary medical system. Contemporary issues in cam: increased use, increased professionalization, integration with biomedicine, growing impact of globalization and internet. Internet: provides access to information on alternative healing, lifestyles, methods, products, increases commoditization of foods, medicines, wellness and spirituality. Cam is being consumed and commodified , e. g. new foods/diets, spiritual experiences. Cam is either/or: inclusion or exclusion in one"s medical system. Biomedicine tends to ignore or minimize engagement with alternative medical systems. Medical pluralism reflects class, racial/ethnic, and gender relations in u. s. (baer. Early folk medical traditions (european, african american, native) often borrowed from one another.
