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The Importance of Anthropology in Nursing Anthropology is very important in relation to the art and science of nursing. As a branch of medical science it presents a sphere of interest for anthropologists, historians, general practitioners, nurses, psychiatrists, to mention a few. Anthropology in medicine in capacity of discipline takes its stand in syllabuses and studies of doctors and nurses. Anthropology as an interdisciplinary branch of knowledge is generally defined as complex of knowledge about medical systems that existed and continue to exist in various societies, forms and traditions of healing and methods of medical care and aiding, cultural context of medical practice, and various socio-cultural aspects of medical knowledge, etc (Johnson T. M. & Sargent C. F. , 15).
Teaching anthropology in medicine is relevant and important, especially in conditions of modern poly-ethnic societies representatives of which often belong to different cultural societies and have their own, often specific and non-traditional views of health and disease, body, soul, death, the aim of medical treatment or medical care. Anthropology in science of nursing traces its roots back to ethnographic cultural studies and physical anthropology. Besides, attempts of scientists to offer theoretical comprehension of medicine as a cultural phenomenon as well as international post-war movements for health protection also influenced anthropology. Anthropology in the art and science of nursing is characterized by search and probation of new approaches to such evident issues like disease, health, treatment, medicine, healing, drug, body, sex, education, to mention a few. Is it possible to equate approaches to disease peculiar for nurses and general practitioners from huge American patient care institutions with those from provincial towns, where medical practice differs a lot? Is it permissible to equate knowledge about diseases and methods of medical care peculiar for nurses and practitioners who got education in universities and medical schools with knowledge about diseases peculiar for Indian healers and shamans who also provide their patients with so-called medical care?
All those ideas, knowledge, concepts are totally different from each other. Yet, anthropology will be the only science and the first form of knowledge that is able to make differences between them. In such a way, no wonder that anthropology is so important to the art and science of nursing. Bibliography Johnson T.
M. & Sargent C. F... Medical anthropology. A handbook of theory and method.
New York, Westport, London: Greenwood Press, 1990.
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