Instructions: For each question, click on the radio button beside your answer. When you have completed the entire quiz, click the “Submit my answers” button at the bottom of the page to receive your results.

Question 1:

Applying medical labels to illness and disease can have the effect of ________.
a) assigning responsibility for an illness
b) determining the perceived severity of an illness
c) causing people with certain illnesses to be stereotyped and/or stigmatized
d) all of the above

Question 2:

Epidemiology can help us determine ________.
a) the sources of bioaccumulation
b) culturally appropriate methods for preventing the spread of disease
c) ways to improve the patient–practitioner experience
d) how cultural constructions of disease affect the patient

Question 3:

The Western biomedical approach of medical anthropology ________.
a) is an example of an externalizing medical system
b) is incompatible with traditional or “folk” medicine
c) can be considered as a form of traditional medicine
d) focuses on the cultural construction of disease

Question 4:

The study of the causes of illness and/or disease is known as ________.
a) etiology
b) epidemiology
c) pathology
d) defensive research

Question 5:

In the personalistic interpretation of illness and disease, ________.
a) illnesses are rooted in the physical world
b) responsibility for illness lies with the patient
c) illnesses are prevented through positive action
d) illnesses are unrelated to misfortune

Question 6:

SEARCH, a non-governmental organization, has had success in improving infant survival rates in rural India because it ________.
a) provided new medical technology to poor, rural clinics
b) replaced folk medicine with culturally adapted, modern medical techniques
c) integrated folk medicine with modern medical techniques
d) increased the presence of institutionally trained physicians in poor, rural areas

Question 7:

Arthur Kleinman’s core clinical functions of a health care system includes ________.
a) the management of illness through labelling and explaining
b) the performance of healing activities
c) the cultural construction of illnesses
d) all of the above

Question 8:

Technology is part of the ________ component of the human environment.
a) biotic
b) abiotic
c) cultural
d) interrelated

Question 9:

Sylvie Poirier and Lorraine Brooke’s distinction between defensive and positive research refers to the ________.
a) emphasis on biotic versus abiotic factors on overall health and well-being
b) presence or lack of consultation with—or consideration for—the affected community
c) emphasis on the prevention of illness versus the treatment of illness
d) focus on the biological factors of illness versus the social or cultural constructs of illness

Question 10:

All of the following statements about curing practices are true EXCEPT ________.
a) placebos are folk cures that are found to have legitimate scientific properties
b) home remedies or folk cures are often the first choice of treatment, regardless of culture
c) traditional medical practices may involve performance activities such as singing, chanting, and clowning
d) access to treatment is often determined by socioeconomic status

Question 11:

When trying to understand the relationship between traditional and biomedical approaches, medical anthropologists must take into account ________.
a) government funding
b) individual expectations
c) cultural contexts
d) urban proximity

Question 12:

Pioneer medical anthropologist George M. Foster stressed the importance of remaining ________ when considering the medical approaches within the cultures that are being researched.
a) reflexive
b) obstinate
c) subjective
d) bilateral

Question 13:

One of the advantages of Western medical technology is that it can be seamlessly introduced and applied to other cultures and societies.
a) True
b) False

Question 14:

According to the textbook, “illness” is a culturally defined state.
a) True
b) False

Question 15:

Integrated approaches to medical issues are equally important within and between societies.
a) True
b) False

Question 16:

Wendigo-psychosis is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting indigenous groups of North America.
a) True
b) False

Question 17:

The best way to combat bioaccumulation in First Nations communities is to have affected people switch over to a European-style diet.
a) True
b) False

Question 18:

In rural areas, medical practitioners often act as spokespersons for the community.
a) True
b) False

Question 19:

The Anishinaabe of Canada believe that “white man’s sickness” should be treated by Western medical personnel and techniques.
a) True
b) False

Question 20:

A nutritious diet is one that contains enough calories for a person’s daily energy needs.
a) True
b) False

Question 21:

The first step toward fighting a disease is understanding its ecology.
a) True
b) False

Question 22:

Managed care refers to a system of care in which the practitioner examines all aspects of the patient’s social and environmental surroundings in order to provide a holistic treatment plan.
a) True
b) False

Question 23:

The rate at which a disease spreads within a region can be tied to transnational decisions based on political, economic, and ideological considerations.
a) True
b) False

Question 24:

Western medical labels are not mutually agreed-upon signifiers.
a) True
b) False

Higher Education

Cultural Anthropology, Third Edition: Chapter 09