FOUR ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS INTO ANTROPOLOGY

Introduction
Elements in a discipline can be extended by incorporating additional
knowledge or can be narrowed or refined as more precise conceptualization
become possible. The information constituting these elements in the
domains of nursing derives in clinical practice through nursing research and
also through concept.
Four essential concepts into Anthropology:
According to Fawcett
. Environment
!. "uman
#. $ociety
%. &ursing
According to Torres
. "uman
!. $ociety
#. "ealth
%. &ursing

Environment
The contribution of anthropology to nursing concepts of environment
has been the notion of the importance based on culture'culture
compromises the total life way of a human group. (t consists of
learned patterns of values) belief) customs and behaviour that are
shared by a group of interacting individuals.
*ulture is not transmitted biologically) although all human have basic
biological needs) they respond to these needs in cultured way. E.g.
while every individuals has a biological need for sleep) culture
determines the pattern of behavioural responses to this need including
the space facilities and with whom one sleeps.
*ulture is a set of shared assumptions) values) belief and behaviour of
a group interacting individuals. (t is ac+uired by experience through
the process of enculturation.
*ultures contain both ideal and real components) there is often
divergence between the ways a people think they should be have and
the way they do behave.
The contribution of anthropology to the conceptualization of the
environment. There is the notion of culture both the client and of the
nurse. The client cultural environment provides a background from
which nurse can anticipate client value) religion) dietary practice) lines
of authority family life patterns) language and communication pattern
and belief and practice related to health and illness.
!
Human
Anthropology extends the conceptualization of human through the
concepts of ethnocentrism and cultural relativity
Ethnocentrism is a tendency for individuals to think that their values)
belief) customs , patterns of interacting are correct and that differing
one are wrong or less correct.
According to "erskovits) the principles of cultural relativism hold that
-udgement is based on experiences and experience is interpreted by
each person in terms of individual enculturation.
*ultural relativism and ethnocentrism are two sides of the same coin
each denote the perspective from which cultural characteristics are
interpreted.
The contribution of anthropology to the conceptualization of human is
the view that a person.s sub-ective experience is of particular interest
to nursing.
Anthropology provides the theoretical basis for +uestions. /o nurse
view the client position from the perspective of his own cultural
context or from cultural code tract have already been devised by
nursing.
Health
The concept of health has been extended by the emic0etic distinction
derived from anthropology. An emic analysis seeks to discover the
significant distribution made by the members of particular culture. The aim
#
of study involves to discover of native principles of classification and
conceptualization.
An etic analysis is made from with in each cultural system. The emic
approach yields a description of a cultural system from the inside)
from the point of view of the participant) no that of the observer.
An etic analysis generally consists of observation of behaviour that
does not involve learning the view point of those being studied.
Concetuali!ation nur"in# a"
. A dichotomous variable 1present or absent2
!. As a continuum 1from wellness to death2
#. As an inclusive holistic state
These dual perspectives can be reconciled through a synthesis of concepts of
illness and disease) which has its theoretical base in the emic'etic distinction.
/isease are indicated by abnormal sign and symptoms which can be
observed) measured) recorded classified and analyzed according to
clinical standards of abnormality.
(llness is in emic category which is only understand from the clients
perceptive illness is a sub-ective phenomenon in which individuals
who perceive themselves as not feeling well modify their normal
behaviour.
%
The concept of disease and illness are synthesized in the health grid. The
grid indicated that the health state inherently contain two dimensions the
ob-ective , sub-ective.


3ellness
/isease non disease
(llness
"ealth 4rid
Horizontal Axis:
(t consists of the disease to non disease continuum. The etic
1ob-ective2 axis represents the ob-ective interpretation of health state of the
client by the trained practioner.
Vertical Axis:
5anges from illness at the bottom to wellness in the top. This illness
wellness axis represents the sub-ective perception of an individual to his
health state.
6uadrant 7 (:
5epresents the intersection of non disease and wellness. There is
agreement between client and provider. The client sub-ectively feels fine and
8
ob-ectives pathology in not detectable) health behaviours in +uadrant ( are
wellness promoting or illness preventing.
6uadrant 7 (( 1&o disease'illness2
There is no ob-ective pathology that can be identified by a
scientifically trained observer. This +uadrant include the categories that are
often termed folk illness) there may be an illness category which does not
have one to one confidence with a disease entity.
6uadrant 7 (((
The individual feels ill and there is ob-ectives pathology that can be
identified by a scientifically trained practioner. &ot only do patients exhibit
obvious pathological changes) but patient also consider themselves well.
3hen incongruence occurs in this +uadrant they generally result because the
lay system of explanation of the problem does not fit with that of the
practioner.
6uadrant9(:
6uadrant (( ,(: are charterized by incongruence.
(n +uadrant (: there may be obvious pathology which com be identified by a
scientifically trained practioner. ;ut the patient dose not consider himself ill
reason that the client does not identify pathology way be that the condition is
ignored is considered normal part of getting older or presents symptoms that
are not readily identifiable by lay people with out specified diagnostic
<
e+uipment. "ealt grid provides a tool to integrate the health state form the
perspectives of both the provider and client.
Nur"in#
The concept of the =culture plan> emerged from the discipline of
anthropology.
The form culture broker has been applied to A varies of roles which
link various set ions of society teachers) religious) political leaders)
artists) public health doctors and agricultural extension agents.
;oissevian conceptualized broken as dealing through inter personal
linkages: in the process) they affect social relationship) these brokes
transmit) direct) fitter receives) code) decode and interpret message.
According to 3eidman) the cultural broker role is that of an
intermediate and com be applied whenever there is need to recognize
the existence of separate cultural tradition asp and to acknowledge an
individual role in establishing meaningful linkage between them.
As a nursing intervention cultural brokerage involves the nurse acting
as a mediator between clients and members of the orthodox health
professions.
(n nursing) cultural brokerage occurs most obviously between
minority clients and orthodox health professionals. (t is necessary to
determine the nature of the belief and concerns that guide the
patient.s behaviours. (t re+uires a clinically appropriate cultural
?
assessment of the patient that elicits several basic data sets by the
patients as a cultural informant.
*ultural brokerage has a scope them most nursing intervention which
are directed primarily toward altering aspect of the client system. (t
may focus on the client on the health professional ' on mediation b'w
both.
Cultural $ro%era#e ma& ta%e $a"ic term"'
. (t may focus on the patient and help the patient to handle the
implication of the illness. This presumes the nurse broker understands
what it important to the client and how the illness in interpreted.
!. (t may focus on the practioner by assisting the orthodox practioner to
adopt scientific method communications) or intervention strategies in
to culturally appropriate ones.
#. Focus on the both client and the practioner have different view about
the etiology) meaning treatment of an illness perspective need to be
translated to the other.
S&nthe"i" o( Anthroolo#ical contri$ution"
Through a synthesis of contribution of anthropology to each essential
nursing concept) a new notion of the uni+ue role of nursing as a health
profession emerges. ;ecause all health professionals are in a general sense
concerned with mental and physical wellbeing of clients. There is
considerable. @verlap in the contribution of each profession to the goal of
client health profession. "owever) each health professional also offers
A
uni+ue services which complaint those of other professionals. To clarity the
nursing contribution of nursing. There must be advanced beyond simple
common place such as physician provide medical therapy which nurses
provide nursing care.
Bedicine is primarily 1and properly2 concerned with disease it.s
etiology) pathophysiology and treatment. The client is predonunatly
concerned with illness. This distraction defines a crucial domain for nursing.
(t is with in the domain of nursing to mediate between the biomedical model
1etic2 and the patient 1emic2 models to understand) interpret and intervene
based on when both the culture of the health professional and the culture of
the client are valuing and interring.
Summar&'
$o far we have discussed about theory) concepts in nursing theory.
The contribution of anthropology concepts core health) nursing) environment
and human.
)i$lio#rah&'
/elong. * =(ssue and trends in &ursing> !
nd
edition) mosby
company) &ew /elhi Cage &o 7 D# 7 E!.
Bacclosky 1DA<2 =Crofessional Trends and issue in &ursing>
mosby publication) phildephia) Cage &o 7 E< 7 ED.

D
IN*E+
S,
No,
CONTENT PAGE NO,
E
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
INTRODUCTION
FOUR ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS INTO ANTHROPOLOGY
ENVIRONMENT
HUMAN
HEALTH
NURSING
SYNTHESIS OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
SUMMARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY

!
#
#
?
A
D
D
Seminar
On

FOUR ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS INTO

ANTHROPOLOGY
SUBJECT- MANAGEMENT
SUBMITTED TO: MRS. N. SUMATHI M.Sc [Nsg]
SENIOR LECTURER
VMACON, SALEM.
SUBMITTED BY: MR. SURENDRA SHARMA
II Y!" M.Sc. #Nsg$
VMACON, SALEM.
!