Antropologia médica: elementos conceituais e metodológicos para uma abordagem da saúde e da doença

Abstract

This paper discusses the relevance, specificity, and potential of the anthropological approach to health and illness. Medical anthropology is shown as complementary to other approaches that currently deal with public health problems. The impact of social and cultural factors on health-related perceptions and behaviors is illustrated and commented. A conceptual and methodological framework is also proposed to systematize the study of representations and practices of communities in the area of public health. The specific contribution of the anthropological approach is discussed in terms of the effectiveness of public health programs.

Bambuí Project: a qualitative approach to self-medication

“…Data collection and subsequent analysis were based on the model of "signs, meanings, and actions system" developed by Corin and collaborators 26,31,32 . The point of departure for this model is study of concrete actions related to the target event in order to capture the determinant logic, as well as to identify contextual elements influencing the materialization of such logics in specific situations.…”

“…According to this model, contextual elements such as the social dynamic and central cultural codes and norms, among others, define the way people identify and evaluate a health-related problem or event and act towards it. This model aims at a systematic knowledge of populations' way of thinking and acting towards events related to the health-disease process 26 . The analysis of the signs, meanings, and actions is based on the practices of actors as grasped by concrete histories 26,31,32 .…”

“…This model aims at a systematic knowledge of populations' way of thinking and acting towards events related to the health-disease process 26 . The analysis of the signs, meanings, and actions is based on the practices of actors as grasped by concrete histories 26,31,32 .…”

“…Uchôa & Vidal 26 contend that adequate policies can only be obtained when one considers that people's way of thinking and acting is mediated by the social and cultural context to which they belong. Anthropological studies in health aim to identify and analyze the mediation exerted by social and cultural factors in the construction of characteristic ways of thinking and acting towards health and disease.…”

O processo de morrer e a morte no enfoque dos profissionais de enfermagem de UTIs

“…Para tanto, a antropologia, enquanto ciência que estuda a história natural e cultural do homem e dos grupos humanos contribui para a construção de novos paradigmas para a abordagem dos processos saúde e doença (2) .…”