Anthropological Perspectives
Anthropology Essay
How can anthropological perspectives be applied to contemporary issues?
An anthropological perspective can be applied when confronted with almost any issue concerning interactions between humans. Using their intimate knowledge of local beliefs, behaviours and practises, anthropologists and ethnographers are able find realistic and culturally viable solutions to contemporary issues. This essay will focus on medical anthropology, a subfield which emerged through the employment of anthropological perspectives to issues surrounding human health and disease and health care systems. More specifically, the case study of the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa will be explored in depth with specific emphasis given to the work of various …show more content…
A lack of knowledge concerning the Ebola virus has halted progress in the fight against the disease, for example, at one point in the epidemic a rumour began via text message that a cure had been developed by a Senegalese researcher which was based on hot chocolate, milk, sugar and onions. In the preceding days these products ran out in shops throughout the capital of Guinea, Conakry, as well as rural areas(Fassassi, 2014). It has been the role of anthropologists such as Faye to help educate communities on the nature of disease in such a way which makes cultural sense, particularly in areas where disease is not understood through the lens of biology and where traditional beliefs, in particularly sorcery, are valued over …show more content…
This is particularly the case with customary funeral rites as foreign medical workers, in the process of ensuring the containment of the disease, have inadvertently transgressed traditional burial rituals. This has prompted rumours amongst locals that corpses have been defiled or medical workers are stealing organs. Anthropologists such as Faye have engaged with communities to invent solutions which find a common ground with the traditional customs of the area as well as the appropriate medical protocols to avoid the spread of Ebola. In Guinea, Faye was able to compromise with locals which allowed them to at least see the body of the diseased and throw various items on the body before burial which placated many of the worries held by the local population (Fassassi,
How can anthropological perspectives be applied to contemporary issues?
An anthropological perspective can be applied when confronted with almost any issue concerning interactions between humans. Using their intimate knowledge of local beliefs, behaviours and practises, anthropologists and ethnographers are able find realistic and culturally viable solutions to contemporary issues. This essay will focus on medical anthropology, a subfield which emerged through the employment of anthropological perspectives to issues surrounding human health and disease and health care systems. More specifically, the case study of the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa will be explored in depth with specific emphasis given to the work of various …show more content…
A lack of knowledge concerning the Ebola virus has halted progress in the fight against the disease, for example, at one point in the epidemic a rumour began via text message that a cure had been developed by a Senegalese researcher which was based on hot chocolate, milk, sugar and onions. In the preceding days these products ran out in shops throughout the capital of Guinea, Conakry, as well as rural areas(Fassassi, 2014). It has been the role of anthropologists such as Faye to help educate communities on the nature of disease in such a way which makes cultural sense, particularly in areas where disease is not understood through the lens of biology and where traditional beliefs, in particularly sorcery, are valued over …show more content…
This is particularly the case with customary funeral rites as foreign medical workers, in the process of ensuring the containment of the disease, have inadvertently transgressed traditional burial rituals. This has prompted rumours amongst locals that corpses have been defiled or medical workers are stealing organs. Anthropologists such as Faye have engaged with communities to invent solutions which find a common ground with the traditional customs of the area as well as the appropriate medical protocols to avoid the spread of Ebola. In Guinea, Faye was able to compromise with locals which allowed them to at least see the body of the diseased and throw various items on the body before burial which placated many of the worries held by the local population (Fassassi,