Medical Anthropology :
a guide to library resources

Contents:
Starting points
Finding books
Finding journal articles
Finding newspaper articles (this links to another guide)
Web resources

Related library guides which may be helpful:
Anthropology of Food & Diet
Death & Dying
Psychological Anthropology

STARTING POINTS

When you need to define your topic and/or get some background reading try consulting a medical dictionary or encyclopedia.
The most recent print editions are located in the Reference Collection on level 3 South - general medical dictionaries/encyclopedias are located at 610.3; general mental health/psychiatry dictionaries/encyclopedias are located at 616.89003.

Some medical reference works are available electronically, and there are also reputable web-based resources such as the Online Medical Dictionary and Health Topics A-Z.

The Encyclopedia of medical anthropology [print] will help with cultural explanations, and the guide to Anthropology dictionaries/encyclopedias will help if you need explanations of anthropological terminology or theory.

To find overviews on the subject try the following:

Anthropology and epidemiology (1986) [print]
[Interdisciplinary approaches to the study of health and disease. A book review is linked here]

Anthropology and the new genetics (2007) [print]
[This book shows how anthropology can contribute to and challenge the ways we have come to understand genetic issues]

Anthropologies of illness and sickness (1982) [electronic]
[A survey which looks at medical anthropology as a field of research, writing & professional activity. Published in vol. 11 of the Annual Review of Anthropology. Also available in print format]

Anthropology of medicine : from culture to method (1997) [print]
[A comprehensive introduction to medical anthropology as well as a state-of-the-art work on the subject. Covers both Western and non-Western medicine]

Anthropology of pharmaceuticals : a biographical approach (1996) [electronic]
[Discusses pharmaceuticals as social and cultural phenomena. Published in vol. 25  of the Annual Review of Anthropology. Also available in print format]

Anthropology of the beginnings and ends of life (2005) [electronic]
[Reviews recent anthropological attention to the "beginnings" and "endings" of life. Published in vol. 34 of Annual Review of Anthropology. Also available in print format]

Art of medical anthropology: readings (1998) [print]
[Presents a cross-section of 25 years of the discipline. A book review is linked here]

Commodification of the body and its parts (2000) [electronic]
[Discusses the signficance of the body within anthropology and what defines a body 'part'. Published in vol. 29 of the Annual Review of Anthropology. Also available in print format]

Cultural context of health, illness & medicine (1997) [print]
[Introductory text which seeks to identify & define the basic social anthropological & sociological concepts relevant to understanding health & illness in human settings. A book review is linked here]

Handbook of medical anthropology : contemporary theory & method (1996) [print]
[Overview on all aspects of medical anthropology]

Medical anthropology and epidemiology (1996) [electronic]
[A critical review of significant developments in the collaboration between anthropologists and epidemiologists to create the foundations of a cultural epidemiology. Published in vol. 25 of the Annual Review of Anthropology. Also available in print format]

Medical anthropology and the world system (2003) [print]
[Includes a discussion of the central concepts in, and the development and scope of, medical anthropology, as well as the critical perspective employed]

Medical anthropology : regional perspectives and shared concerns (2007) [print]
[Surveys medical anthropology by examining the multiplicity of intellectual traditions from which it emerged]

FINDING BOOKS USING THE LIBRARY CATALOGUE

Books can be found by searching the library catalogue. Keyword searching is probably the best way of identifying material, and your results will be maximised by using keyword searching techniques such as truncation and Boolean searching, and by incorporating subject headings into your search where appropriate - here are some examples using the Basic Search option:

"spiritual healing"
"traditional medicine" and Africa
"social medicine" and disease?
"medical anthropology" and (hiv or aids)
"eating disorders" and (social or cultur? or anthrop?)

FINDING JOURNAL ARTICLES USING DATABASES & BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Journal articles can be found through databases listed in the Electronic Databases for Anthropology guide - Sociological Abstracts, Anthropology Plus, Academic OneFile,  Academic Search Premier and JSTOR are probably the best starting points for finding articles written on medical anthropology topics.  Note though that JSTOR does not include current journal literature.

Also worth considering are the health sciences databases such as PubMed & PsycINFO for international coverage; Meditext and AustHealth for Australian coverage.

In addition, there are also a couple of web-based specialised bibliographies of books & journal articles which may be of interest:

Bibliography for medical anthropology
[Compiled by Professor W. Penn Handwerker at the University of Connecticut. Says "reasonably complete up to 1994; selectively spotty after 1994"]

Social Sciences and New Reproductive and Genetic Technologies
[An annotated bibliography of the cultural implications of new reproductive and genetic technologies]

WEB RESOURCES

The following are starting points for exploring Medical Anthropology resources on the Web

Medical Anthropology Web
[This web site promotes the cultural and biological study and understanding of health, illness and healthcare]

Society for Medical Anthropology
[The Society for Medical Anthropology (SMA) of the American Anthropological Association was founded in 1971 to promote the study of anthropological aspects of health, illness, health care, and related topics and to encourage communication and utilisation of the results obtained from such studies] 

Society for the Social History of Medicine 
[Promotes inter-disciplinary approaches to the history of health, welfare, medical science and practice]

Last update: 4 December 2007  

This page is maintained by Helen Attar