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Thinking global health from the perspective of anthropology

Published on Apr. 25, 2022Total Views: 5924 timesTotal Downloads: 2507 timesDownloadMobile

Author: Ruo-Bing JI Yu CHENG

Affiliation: School of Sociology & Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China

Keywords: Global health Medical anthropology Holism Political economy of inequality Cultural diversity Cultural adaptation Multispecies ethnography

DOI: 10.12173/j.issn.1004-5511.2021125874

Reference: Ji RB, Cheng Y. Thinking global health from the perspective of anthropology[J]. Yixue Xinzhi Zazhi, 2022, 32(2): 145-147. DOI: 10.12173/j.issn.1004-5511.2021125874.[Article in Chinese]

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Abstract

COVID-19 has brought about political, economic, cultural, and interspecies problems far from medical areas, which challenges academia to rethink global health. For holism principle, anthropology offers valuable insights into these health issues, including the political economy of inequality, cultural diversity, and cultural adaptations, as well as the study of multispecies ethnography. These perspectives indicate that unequal political and economic systems contribute to health problems when people acknowledge disease and illness mechanisms. Moreover, cultural diversity and cultural adaptation are essential for providing appropriate medical solutions. Lastly, as a research method of studying interspecies relationships, multispecies ethnography promotes one health and planetary health from the ultimate perspective of holism. In conclusion, global health is not only a bio-medical concept but also involves political economy, culture, and multispecies factors, for which anthropology proffers inspiring theories and methods.

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References

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