Connected Epistemologies: A Fragmented Review of Post- and Decolonial Perspectives in Medical Anthropology

A Fragmented Review of Post- and Decolonial Perspectives in Medical Anthropology

Abstract

Over the last four decades, post- and decolonial ideas have gained prominence through the dissemination of influential works by renowned scholars and intellectuals in the humanities and social sciences. Pioneering voices such as Franz Fanon, Valentin-Yves Mudimbe, and Edward Said, along with scholars like Gayatri Spivak and advocates of Black feminism such as Sylvia Wynter and Françoise Vergès, have contributed to shaping this realm. Medical anthropology, critical medical anthropology and other related disciplines within the broad field of “medical/health humanities” have actively engaged with these critical theoretical impulses, refining epistemological and methodological approaches that align with post- and decolonial analyses. This article explores the intersections of post- and decolonial perspectives with current anthropological agenda, drawing attention to the manifold research avenues that have emerged from such entanglements. Specifically, the paper delves into three key research areas: (1) the examination of the influence of ideas about post- and decolonial subjectivities in connection to changing notions of health, disease, and disability; (2) the critical analysis of humanitarian and global health interventions; and (3) the exploration of indigenous systems of care and healing practices from the Global South. While acknowledging the fragmented, partial, situated and selective nature of the selection of scholarly sources for this discussion, the article aims to shed light on the dynamic interplays between post- and decolonial theories and the multifold and complex medical anthropology landscapes.