Medical Anthropology : a guide to library resources
Contents:
Related library guides which may be helpful:
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:
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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]
- Health and healing in comparative perspective (2006) [print]
[This book looks at both the biological and cultural aspects of health and healing within a comparative framework]
Medical anthropology (2008) [print]
[Collection of key papers which outline the history, concepts, research findings and recent controversies in medical anthropology]
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- 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.
Web-based specialised bibliographies of books & journal articles which may be of interest:
- An Annotated Bibliography of Indian Medicine
- [Compiled by Jan Meulenbeld. Will be of particular interest for researchers concerned with South Asian medical traditions]
Anthropologie de la Santé et de la Maladie: Bibliographie
[Complied by Laurence Ossipow Université de Neuchâtel. Items published between 1932 and 1998 on many aspects of medical anthropology]
Bibliography on Body
[Compiled by Ian Harper from Brunel University, Msc in Medical Anthropology course]
Bibliography on Leprosy and the Body
[Compiled by James Staples. Obtained from Anthropology Matters website]
- Social Sciences and New Reproductive and Genetic Technologies
[An annotated bibliography of the cultural implications of new reproductive and genetic technologies]
Finding Videos and DVDs Using The Library Catalogue
Videos and DVDs 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 the word videorecording into your search. Here are some examples using the Basic Search option:
"aboriginal australians" and health and videorecording
(anthropol? or ethnograph?) and videorecording
Web Resources
The following are starting points for exploring Medical Anthropology resources on the Web
AIDS and Anthropology Research Group
[A special interest group of the Society for Medical Anthropology (SMA) interested in
anthropological research on HIV infection and AIDS. Includes AIDS and Anthropology
Bibliography]
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]
Tibetan & Himalayan Digital Library - Medicine Collections
[The History and Culture resources investigate the history of Tibetan medicine and the formation of scientific or medical concepts as inextricably embedded in cultural, social, religious and ideological contexts]
Last update: 26 May 2009 Helen Attar
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