Interpretive Perspective Paper

Gender, sexuality, class, race and ability are social categories that culturally define ones lived experience. In attempts to include the varied experiences and meanings of illness the Interpretive Perspective was created and applied to Medical Anthropology. The Interpretive Perspective focuses on the means that societies and cultures attribute to experiences, especially in regard to sickness episodes. This perspective is rooted in the notion that reality is constructed from ones experiences in their cultural, social and historical contexts. Wherein in order to properly gauge and understand culturally relevant perspectives qualitative methodologies are preferred. Therefore the researcher’s objectives and values are applied in all aspects of …show more content…
Within this sample 10 of the women described their health as good while the remaining 10 described their health as poor. Black et al did this so their research covered a diversity of events and experiences related to depression. The first half of the study provided the historical context and relevance for conducting their study. Black et al knew that the age cohort they were working with experienced tremendous historical changes such as the World Wars and the Great Depression Laws and conventions further blocked possibilities for movement between jobs and social classes. Wherein these restraints provided new non-biomedical meanings of depression. The second half of the study focused on the individual women’s experiences. For many of the women depression connected to memories of abuse, grief, poor relationships and poverty, which influenced their definition and relationship to depression. Three key themes emerged: depression was linked to the loosing of strength throughout their life history, depression is preventable by overcoming, and depression, sadness and suffering are all related. There responses to depression are shaped by their cultural contexts, wherein these women were taught to be strong and