The Blackwell Companion to Medical Sociology

2
Health and Culture
Stella Quah
Is culture relevant to the study of health and illness? Almost with one voice,
sociologists and anthropologists affirm it is. Such a consensus is exceptional in
these disciplines which have produced the bulk of systematic research on healthrelated
behavior by applyinga wide variety of approaches and conceptual
perspectives. Today we know that culture is not just one of many factors
associated with health but is the context within which health-related behavior
unfolds. This chapter explains why culture is significant in health-related
behavior. The discussion unfolds in three steps. We shall first deal with the
definition of culture. Then we will consider the link between culture and health
behavior. Finally, we will focus on the link between culture and healingsystems.
Defining Culture
The meaningof the term ``culture'' varies widely across disciplines and conceptual
perspectives. To keep within the scope of this volume, the focus is on the
contributions of sociology and anthropology. We begin with an historical glance
at the efforts made to define and understand ``culture.''
The Classics
One enduringcontribution is that of Emile Durkheim, a pioneer of the discipline
of sociology. In his Rules of Sociological Method, first published in 1895,
Durkheim proposed guidelines for the study of social phenomena as social
facts. He argued that social facts are ``representations'' of society in the mind
of the individual. They are ways of thinking, feeling, and acting external to the
person. Such ``facts'' include myths, popular legends, religious conceptions,
moral beliefs, and social beliefs and practices in general. By treating social