Pandora`s Box: Ethnography and the Comparison of - The 1979 Lewis Henry Morgan Lectures

Gilbert Lewis, a medical anthropologist, explores how different cultures' beliefs about illness influence patients' abilities to heal. Despite Western medicine's advances, Lewis argues that it can learn from non-Western societies that consider sickness and curing as social relationships. He compares Indigenous medical beliefs in New Guinea and West Africa and discusses the problems that arise when one set of therapeutic practices displaces another. "Pandora's Box" is an engaging book that inspires readers to look at current crises in world health with new eyes.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 322 pages
Publication date: 11 June 2021
Publisher: HAU Society Of Ethnographic Theory

In his remarkable book, spanning a remarkable period from 1979 to 2020, Gilbert Lewis, a renowned medical anthropologist, has distilled a lifetime of insights gathered through his extensive research. He delves into the profound question of how different cultures' beliefs about illness shape patients' abilities to heal. Despite the advancements of Western medicine, Lewis explores what it can learn from non-Western societies that view sickness and curing as deeply intertwined with social relationships rather than solely as biological states. He also examines the challenges that arise when one set of therapeutic practices replaces another.

Lewis takes readers on a captivating journey, comparing Indigenous medical beliefs in New Guinea in 1968, when villagers were largely self-reliant, and in 1983, after they became dependent on Western medicine. He then broadens his comparative scope, venturing into West Africa to discuss a therapeutic community led by a prophet who heals the ill through confession and long-term residential care.

Pandora's Box, the product of Gilbert Lewis's prestigious Lewis Henry Morgan Lectures delivered at the University of Rochester in 1979, began to take shape over the next forty years. Lewis meticulously expanded his insights, culminating in the completion of the manuscript just weeks before his passing. This book is written in an engaging and accessible style, making it a must-read for anthropologists, medical professionals, students, and anyone with a curiosity about global health crises.

Through his meticulous research and thoughtful analysis, Gilbert Lewis offers a profound exploration of the complex interplay between culture, beliefs, and health. He challenges readers to reexamine their assumptions and consider the broader societal implications of healthcare practices. Pandora's Box serves as a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the complexities of human health and the role of culture in shaping our understanding and treatment of illness.

Weight: 578g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781912808328