Critical medical anthropology

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Critical Medical Anthropology (CMA) is a branch of medical anthropology that blends perspectives from critical theory and biomedicine. This approach is used to understand how social and economic conditions, as well as political situations, influence human health.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Critical Medical Anthropology examines how social and economic structures, political situations, and global processes influence human health. It also explores how health policies and medical systems are shaped by and reinforce social hierarchies and inequalities.

Key Concepts[edit | edit source]

Power and Health[edit | edit source]

CMA emphasizes the role of power in health outcomes. It argues that power imbalances at various levels, from interpersonal relationships to global political structures, can impact health.

Social Inequalities and Health[edit | edit source]

CMA also focuses on social inequalities, particularly how they affect health. It explores how factors such as class, race, gender, and age can influence health outcomes.

Medical Systems and Health Policies[edit | edit source]

CMA examines how medical systems and health policies can reinforce social hierarchies and inequalities. It critiques the biomedical model, arguing that it often fails to consider social and cultural factors that influence health.

Applications[edit | edit source]

CMA has been applied in various fields, including public health, medical education, and health policy. It has been used to critique and improve health interventions, policies, and systems.

See Also[edit | edit source]

Critical medical anthropology Resources
Doctor showing form.jpg
Wiki.png

Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD


Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.

Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.


Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD