Health-seeking behavior and the meaning of medications in Balochistan, Pakistan

A wide variety of health care options--home-based, indigenous, and cosmopolitan--exists in northern Balochistan, Pakistan. This paper examines health-seeking behavior in the area of mother and child health for villagers in this pluralistic medical setting. The analysis of a specific series of illness episodes shows that the majority of cases obtain treatment from different medical systems for a single episode. Interest in medications takes precedence over practitioners, and the meaning the villagers attach to such substances is explored. Long-established patterns of behavior relating to indigenous medicine continue to occur when cosmopolitan medicine is utilized. Information presented here helps to explain problems in utilization of cosmopolitan pharmaceuticals and delineates areas for future health programme activity.     

Commentary on Norcross and Karpiak's “Clinical Psychologists in the 2010s: 50 Years of the APA Division of Clinical Psychology”

This commentary offers a challenge to Norcross and Karpiak's (2012) claim that the psychodynamic orientation is on the decline in clinical psychology, based upon the data that they present. I urge clinical psychologists/scientists to recognize that there are psychodynamic researchers who have embraced evidence‐based philosophy and practices; I advocate a rapprochement between Division 12 (Society of Clinical Psychology) and 39 (Psychoanalysis), and I propose a defense of pluralism in which all clinical psychologists recognize the obligation to engage other orientations and points of view that differ from their own and to do so respectfully.     

Applying cultural safety beyond Indigenous contexts: Insights from health research with Amish and Low German Mennonites

People who identify as members of religious communities, such as the Amish and Low German Mennonites, face challenges obtaining quality health care and engagement in research due in part to stereotypes that are conveyed through media and popular discourses. There is also a growing concern that even when these groups are engaged in research, the guiding frameworks of the research fail to consider the sociocultural or historical relations of power, further skewing power imbalances inherent in the research relationship. This paper aims at discussing the uses of cultural safety in the context of health research and knowledge translation with groups of people that are associated with a specific religion. Research with the Amish and Low German Mennonites is provided as examples to illustrate the use of cultural safety in this context. From these examples, we discuss how the use of cultural safety, grounded in critical theoretical perspectives, offers new insight into health research with populations that are traditionally labeled as minority, vulnerable, or marginalized, especially when a dominant characteristic is a unique religious perspective.     

Ethnic diversity in aging and aging services in the U.S.: Introduction

This collection on ethnic diversity in aging in the U.S. grew out of two symposia presented at the 1990 annual meetings of the Southwestern Anthropological Association. The papers in this volume focus on smaller and relatively little-known ethnic populations which are currently under-represented in the literature on minority aging. This collection begins to form the basis for cross-cultural comparisons which take into account population size, location and history. Topics include ethnography of aging, applied research, best practice models and policy analysis. Using varied methods and approaches, this collection (1) reports on the implications of a culturally diverse older population; and (2) recommends flexible programs and resource allocation to serve the needs of ethnic minority elderly.     

Reinforced reasoning in medicine

Some philosophers have argued that evidence of underlying mechanisms does not provide evidence for the effectiveness of a medical intervention. One such argument appeals to the unreliability of mechanistic reasoning. However, mechanistic reasoning is not the only way that evidence of mechanisms might provide evidence of effectiveness. A more reliable type of reasoning may be distinguished by appealing to recent work on evidential pluralism in the epistemology of medicine. A case study from virology provides an example of this so‐called reinforced reasoning in medicine. It is argued that in this case study, the available evidence of underlying mechanisms did in fact play a role in providing evidence in favour of a medical intervention. This paper therefore adds a novel and recent case study to the literature in support of evidential pluralism in medicine.     

Arguments for 'British Pluralism' in qualitative health research

AIMS OF THE STUDY: This paper examines the argument that certain qualitative research methods can be used in 'pure' forms. Whilst rigid adherence to particular published procedures might be possible, we argue that in many cases this is neither necessary nor more likely to increase the validity of the research outcome. METHODOLOGICAL PURITY: In examining the works of well-known claimants to particular research approaches such as grounded theory and phenomenology we show that purity of method is uncommon. In particular it is possible to demonstrate that all published qualitative methods are subject to their own underlying relativist philosophy. The implication of this is that all are social constructions and that their execution will necessarily be negotiated in time and context. CONCLUSION: We conclude that analysis of varied examples of qualitative research shows methods to be more flexible than is often admitted. What we describe as 'British Pluralism' is an attempt to accept this reality whilst maintaining rigour through integrity, clear accounts, reflexivity and constructive critique of one's own work and that of others.     

The Kur in West Germany as an interface between naturopathic and allopathic ideologies

In countries where biomedicine developed from earlier medical knowledge, medical pluralism provides unusual cultural parameters and perspectives on biomedical epistemologies. Past therapy traditions, which are still salient in the biomedical system of West Germany today, are examined historically and ethnomedically. The Kur, now part of a complex system of rehabilitation medicine utilizing medical bathing and environmental stimuli, illustrates divergent ideologies in the contemporary German health care system. The influence of cultural, social, and political-economic factors on therapeutic eclecticism and directions are discussed as cultural dynamics of the biomedical system in general.     

多元互补：道教医学用语译介策略探析

Religious Taoism is a form of Chinese native religion with a history of more than 1 800 years. The concept of Tao as is in Taoism is used by Laozi （580 -- 500 B.C in Chunqiu Period） in his masterpiece Tao Te Ching to refer to the fountainhead that generates all existences. Religious Taoism is founded by Zhang Daolin （34 -- 156） in East Han Period, who borrowed the concept of Tao and worshiped Laozi as hierarch,     

METHODOLOGICAL PLURALISM AND MIXED METHODOLOGY TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH: AN EXAMPLE FROM OXFORD HOUSE

This article evaluates how a plurality of research methods has served a research program that has functioned in a much‐needed area of research: the role of housing and recovery residences in addiction recovery. The review focuses on one mutually supportive recovery residence model, called Oxford House, which represents more than 1,700 democratic, self‐governing residences. To date, there has been no comprehensive evaluation of the research methods used with Oxford House or any other recovery residence. In this article, research methods, including study designs and data analyses, are summarized for 114 peer‐reviewed empirical studies that included data on Oxford Houses or Oxford House residents. This review of a pluralistic research program can inform community researchers about the value of recovery residences, the many ways in which recovery residences may be assessed, and the benefits of using multiple methods. Implications for future recovery residence research are discussed.     

From totalitarianism to pluralism in Poland: Problems of transformation on the health scene

An analysis of the social ramifications of the proposed healthcare reforms in Poland Is presented. Poland's health care systemis undergoing profound change. The consequences of these changesmay not be fully appreciated by the government, its representative,or the public at large. Health care has long been the victimof political ideology in Poland and it seems that it still is.For example, decentralization and privatization are seen asthe solutions to all problems, in large measure because nationaland local budgets are not sufficient to cover the costs of care.However, most citizens cannot afford the cost burden and believethat all citizens should have a minimum level of social protectionand that certain vulnerable groups (e.g. children, handicappedpersons, the elderly) should not be required to pay for services.The new reforms must go hand in hand with changes in infrastructureand need to consider social attitudes towards personal responsibilityfor health.