Abstracts

[1] Research methods and techniques in Medical Anthropology
Michael Knipper	Research methods of Medical Anthropology – an overview
Stefan Ecks	Research methods of Medical Anthropology in university education
Angelika Wolf	The meaning of language in Medical Anthropology. Reflections on methods to discover metaphors in the cultural context
[2] Methodical consequences of dealing with suffering and illness
Vera Kalitzkus	Subjectivity and reflexivity in the research process on topics related to illness, dying and death
Hansjörg Dilger	“How to do research on the unspeakable”: Methodological implications of anthropological research on families and HIV/AIDS in Tanzania
Michael Knipper	Treatment and observation. Consequences from the double role as a physician conducting anthropological research
[3] Concerning the positioning of Medical Anthropology
Bernhard Woerrle	Medicinal plants, “bio-piracy” and “indigenous knowledge” – Considerations of a delicate topic
Yvonne Adam / Magdalene Stülb	Applied Anthropology and the question of how to relate research in Medical Anthropology to the socio-political context

 

“Research methods of Medical Anthropology – an overview”

Michael Knipper

In this introductory paper, the different research methods in Medical Anthropology will be presented in an overview. I will highlight the scope of each method and the specific validity of data collected with different methods. The relationship between predominantly qualitatively and rather quantitatively oriented research methods as well as the different quality criteria that are used to judge ethnographic results will be discussed. With regard to the interdisciplinary collaboration of anthropology and medicine essential for our subject I shall in addition address the relevance of methods for the respective understanding of “serious scientific research” and therefore open the discussion in this Workshop.

 

“Research methods of Medical Anthropology in university education”

Stefan Ecks

In my contribution to the Work Group meeting I would like to talk about my experiences with a graduate seminar on „Research Methods of Medical Anthropology“. It will be a kind of interim report of a seminar at the University of Heidelberg (winter semester 2002/03). The text of the seminar announcement: „Medical Anthropology utilises all methods that are also used in other areas of Social Anthropology, for example participant observation or different forms of interviews. However, these methods have to be adapted carefully to the specific research topics of Medical Anthropology. For example there may be general guidelines for the execution of an „expert interview“, but in application there is a big difference whether the expert is a physician, an ayurveda doctor or a self-trained homeopath. Other unique and at times unusually complex problems in Medical Anthropology research can be the access to healers and patients and the ethic dimensions of research about life and suffering. Building on the reading of methodological texts the focus of the seminar will be the practical testing of the methods. Basic knowledge in Medical Anthropology is expected. The chosen examples will focus mainly on Medical Anthropology in South Asia.”

 

“The meaning of language in Medical Anthropology. Reflections on methods to discover metaphors in the cultural context”

Angelika Wolf

The classical research method in Anthropology is participant observation as defined by Malinowski. The person in the field has to integrate him- or herself into an unknown cultural context. Participating in everyday life of other human beings only becomes possible by learning the foreign language. Using examples of descriptions and perceptions of what happens within the human body after the HI-Virus has penetrated it, as renderd by informants during field research in Malawi, the meanings of methaphors especially for Medical Anthropology will be considered Apart from language skills special techniques are needed to discover them.

 

“Subjectivity and reflexivity in the research process on topics related to illness, dying and death”

Vera Kalitzkus

Taking the example of transplantation medicine in Germany, Kalitzkus illustrates the risks and benefits of qualitative research that can be contained in emotionally charged topics such as life threatening illness and death. In a first step examines the relationship between the researcher and her informants (responsibility/positioning). In the research process the researcher is both instrument of data gathering as well as analytical instrument. How can we deal with the resulting subjectivity? What kind of methods help to counterbalance the subjective distortion (“blind spots”) in data gathering and data interpretation? How can the reactions of the investigator to the study setting be used as additional data (analysis of the personal reactions/supervision)?

 

“How to do research on the unspeakable: Methodological implications of anthropological research on families and HIV/AIDS in Tanzania”

Hansjörg Dilger

This contribution inquires into the methodological implications of doing research on a ‘stigmatised’ topic (which may be AIDS as well as any other stigmatised topic). How can the researcher speak about the ‘unspeakable’ in personal encounters with people with HIV/AIDS as well as with their relatives? What particular role do rumours play in doing research on stigmatised topics, and how can they serve as the basis of a ‘scientific’ study? On the other hand, the exploration of stigmatised and taboo topics has direct implications for the actions and the position of the field researcher himself: the anthropologist becomes the bearer of secrets who is not only restricted by his role as a ‘participant observer’ but who for ethical reasons, cannot make his knowledge public – even if the decision to stay silent may lead to new infections and, therefore, to increased suffering. Even before beginning fieldwork it is for these various reasons essential to reflect on the potential ethical dilemmas which may result from doing research on a stigmatised topic.

 

“Treatment and observation. Consequences from the double role as a physician conducting anthropological research”

Michael Knipper

The ideal of anthropological field research is participant observation, where a “disturbance” of the observation situation should be avoided by the researcher. This is particularly valid for research about “medical pluralism”, indigenous perception of and behavior towards illness and people’s attitudes towards the different therapeutic options. Which are the consequences for a researcher with a medical qualification who actively takes part in the supposed to be ‘observational situation’? My thesis is that the special research situation, as a bio-medically qualified researcher, can be used creatively as a special perspective that leads to a specific formulation of questions and findings that are complementary to the point of view of other researchers from different backgrounds and qualification.

 

“Medicinal plants, “bio-piracy” and “indigenous knowledge” – Considerations of a delicate topic”

Bernhard Woerrle

In medical anthropology, indigenous medicine is understood as a “culture-bound” construction. On the other hand it is regarded as a hunting ground for pharmaceutical companies searching for new effective substances for biomedical medications. This contradiction tosses up questions: Is Medical Anthropology perhaps too “constructivist”? Or the other way around: Is “indigenous knowledge” of pharmacological interest? This leads to questions of sense and purpose of bio-prospective projects and the interconnected “bio-piracy”-debate.

 

“Applied Anthropology and the question of how to relate research in Medical Anthropology to the socio-political context”

Yvonne Adam / Magdalene Stülb

In the beginning we will define the areas of Applied Anthropology and Applied Medical Anthropology. How are insights transferred from Medical Anthropology research to practical experience? In a second part we will talk about our experiences from courses for nursing students. The growing numbers of foreign patients in German hospitals call for conflict solutions in a concrete context. The anthropologist as mediator of culturally bound knowledge, is in danger of furthering exotic, glorifying and stereotyped images. The classic position of observer has to be abandoned in favour of political education. In addition the practical problems of individual patients with a migration background demand a positioning beyond culturality. We show how Medical Anthropology can take a stand here and which methodical consequences this causes for research. .