Postmodernism and medical anthropology: words of caution

Abstract

Of late, discourse in anthropology increasingly has been set within the frame of postmodernism. While debate continues as to whether postmodernism represents a particular period or an historically conditioned perspective (or interrelated set of perspectives) within the social sciences and beyond, it is clear that assessment is needed of the impact of postmodernism on work within the field. This paper represents a critique of the potential effect of postmodernism within medical anthropology. It is the argument of this paper that despite the postmodern eschewal of so-called grand theory, postmodern writers in anthropology smuggle a theoretical perspective into their work. The problems of this perspective in terms of the critical turn within medical anthropology are examined.