TRANSCULTURAL VIEW - PREREQUISITE TO INTERETHNIC (INTERCULTURAL) COMMUNICATION IN MEDICINE

The papers presented in this issue of Social Science and Medicine formed the basis of a symposium by the same title held during the 1977 Annual Meeting of the Southern Anthropological Society in Miami, Florida, March 9-12, 1977. Organized and chaired by the author of the introductory paper (Weidman) the set now includes additional studies which were reported in other contexts. Each paper focuses upon a unique case, a widespread medical problem, a case study representative of that problem, an historical process, or an ecological exploration of health/illness concerns. In every instance the point is made that greater professional knowledge, better management, a more successful outcome in an individual case, or the raising of health levels for a particular population rests upon a transcultural view of the problem. The transcultural posture is applicable to professional approaches: anthropology and medicine: also to knowledge of the cultural context of both the patient and the health professional involved. In addition it is applicable to groups of people and health institutions under consideration as well as to healing traditions themselves. Given the unifying theme, that the transcultural view is a prerequisite to interethnic (intercultural) communication in medicine, raised health levels might be expected as a consequence of improved interdisciplinary/intercultural communication. © 1979.