Toward an Understanding of Capitalist and Socialist Health

Abstract

Over the last five years, a growing number of medical anthropologists have recognized the need for the development of a critical approach to the anthropological study of health, health-related behavior, and medical systems (New and Donahue 1986; Baer, Singer and Johnson 1986a; Singer, Baer and Elling 1986). The impetus for interest in critical approaches in medical anthropology lies in a recognition of a major shortcoming of the subdiscipline. As Susser (1985:561) observes, “medical anthropology has drawn largely on the ritual and symbolic realm in culture, and the political and economic issues which affect the health and health behavior of populations have not been widely considered.” Onoge..