Doing Health Anthropology: Research Methods for Community Assessment and Change

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 304 pages
• Published by: Springer Publishing Company
• Edition: 1st Edition November 20, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0826115578
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0826115577
• Book Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Weighs: 1.1 pounds

Product Description


What is the relationship between health, human nature, and human needs?
The impact of social change on communities?
The processes by which communities confront and overcome their health problems?
How do we study these health questions in new communities and become advocates for change?

These are critical questions in confronting the social causes of ill health, yet many health students do not have the appropriate training in the anthropological methods and techniques that help answer them. Christie Kiefer has written Doing Health Anthropology to prompt students to enter the community already prepared in these methods so that they can accurately ask and solve these important questions themselves.

Using this book as a guide, students learn to integrate cultural anthropology with health science and come to their own conclusions based on field research. The book includes common pitfalls to avoid when conducting interviews and observations, and ways to formulate and answer research questions, maintain field notes and other records, and correctly analyze qualitative data.

With the help of this text, practitioners and students alike will be able to integrate cultural anthropology methods of research into their health science investigations and community health initiatives.

For news and to learn more about how you can implement a community approach to building global health and social justice, visit

About The Author


Christie W. Kiefer (PhD), is Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Reader Reviews
This is a thoughtful book from a man with tremendous insights and a wealth of experience. Dr. Kiefer introduces the anthropological perspective on the health of populations, and makes a convincing case for its usefulness that is clear even to non-anthropologists. In this book, Dr. Kiefer also develops his theory of needs and theory of hope, useful tools for understanding the behavior of communities (and individuals) that otherwise don't seem to make sense. This book is clear, easy-to-read for a non-anthropologist (like myself) and full of wisdom and fresh ways of thinking about perennial problems. It's highly recommended.