The study of medical problems in preliterate settings.

Two major theoretical orientations guide the investigation of medical problems in settings where Western medicine has not had a major influence. (In this report, for the sake of convenience, these settings will be termed preliterate.) These two orientations, which stem from the traditional fields of medicine and cultural anthropology, approach medical problems quite differently and, in addition, seek rather diverse aims. An unfortunate consequence of this difference in disciplinary emphasis has been that the accumulating knowledge of each tradition that deals with medical phenomena has not been systematically related to that of the other. Earlier investigations, thus, have not produced a clear picture of how sociocultural processes, the material world, and medical problems are interrelated. In this report we will first review the analytic approaches that have heretofore been followed in these investigations. Logical problems, stemming in part from disciplinary concerns, that limit the scope of investigations in this field are discussed. In the lightof these problems, a framework will be outlined that may prove useful for examining health and illness in relation to sociocultural processes and ecologic givens. This framework is then used to critically review substantive issues that have received research attention in the past.