The medical rationale category and a new epistemology in health (Review)
[A categoria racionalidade médica e uma nova epistemologia em saúde]
a
Instituto de Saúde da Comunidade, Universidade Federal Fluminense,
R. Marques do Paraná 303/3 Centro, 24.033-900 Niterói RJ, Brazil
b
Laboratório de Práticas Alternativas, Complementares e Integrativas em Saúde, Unicamp, Brazil
Abstract
This article is an analytical report
on the 20-year trajectory of the 'medical rationale' category that
emerged in the early 1990s in the area of Social and Human Sciences in
Health in the field of Public Health. Its objective was to study complex
and therapeutic medical systems and traditional, complementary and
alternative medicines. Based on a critical review of the literature, it
presents some aspects of the cultural, political, institutional and
social context of its emergence, as well as its main contributions and
developments on a theoretical level and on social policies and practices
in health. The southern epistemology concept of Boaventura de Sousa
Santos is used to reflect upon the contribution of the 'medical
rationale' category to the critique of the post-modern scientific
rationale and to the creation of a new epistemology in health.
Author keywords
Complementary Therapies; Culture; Epistemology; Medical rationales; Traditional medicine
ISSN: 14138123Source Type: Journal
Original language: English, Portuguese
DOI: 10.1590/S1413-81232013001200016Document Type: Review
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