Political economy, cultural hegemony, and mixes of traditional and modern medicine

Abstract

An attempt is made to place the medical public health system of societies essentially in the political economic, rather than, cultural contexts of those societies. The ambiguity of efficacy is recognized both for modern (M) and traditional (T) medicine. Thus the definition of the medical public health situation is placed largely within the power structure of the nation state. In this structure, a medical public health cultural hegemony is seen as paralleling the overall hegemony which maintains social control and otherwise fosters the interests of the ruling class. The mix of M and T elements, their degree of integration, and their availability and use by different classes is seen as related to resource levels and whether a country is socialist or capitalist oriented. Whatever the medical mix, a set of social control functions are suggested: take over; system maintenance; control of actual or potential dissidents; and cooling out. In support of the liberation struggle, the medical public health system passes into new hands and takes on a new mix of T and M with a new emphasis. With the question of efficacy still open. it is suggested that the mix of T and M may not matter as much for health as the control and distribution of resources in society.