The Medical Pluralism Of Rural Society In China

Medical anthropology treats medical system as a cultural phenomenon and tries to interpret it under cultural background. They think in complicated society medical phenomenon more or less indicates a series of complex of medical system which is called medical pluralism. It contains many sub medical systems such as ceremonial therapy, humoral system, western medical system and so on. Critical medical anthropology think it is far more insufficient to interpret modern medical pluralism in a micro cultural way. Instead, they think it should be understood in a state or cosmopolitan background.In AnBa village, it just shows this pluralistic phenomenon both in people's belief of what causes illness and options for therapy. Chinese herbal medicine , the most common method of health care and therapy for local villagers, has already become a very important part of local culture. It has internalized a kind of commonsense to ensure their normal life. But herbal medicine is not the only way of villager's heath care. Then usually have three or four or even more optional methods , and each of which can substitute one another. All of them play a role in their daily life. Among these pluralistic choices, villager's recognition of what causes illness will guide them. This belief is closely connected with local cultural tradition.With the foundation of modern medical system, state acts as a more and more important role. It sets up standard medical conception by enacting medical policies and implementing development plans. It also allocates medical resources so that different people can get their required medical service. This has being changed traditional ideas of health care. AnBa, as a part of the state, is sure to be influenced by these policies. So only if we put it in a macro background, can we better understand the local medical system.The whole paper introduces traditional Chinese medical system, the foundation and development of national medical system and local medical system in AnBa, I try to formulate the medical pluralism in AnBa from micro cultural and macro political and economical perspective. The theoretical method I choose in my paper is the political and economical view of critical medical anthropology.