Exploring Biomedical and Ethnomedical Representations of Diabetes in Ghana and the Scope for Cross-professional Collaboration

This article examines the ways in which ethnomedical and biomedical representations of chronic illness and approaches to treatment impact on illness action. Using diabetes care in Ghana as a case study, qualitative interviews were conducted with rural and urban biomedical and ethnomedical practitioners to examine professional representations of diabetes, descriptions of the treatment process and assessment of in-group and out-group knowledge base and practices. The social representations concept of cognitive polyphasia is used as an analytical tool to examine consensus and conflict within and between group narratives. Three major findings are outlined. Firstly, there are more areas of consensus than conflict across professional groups, particularly on the broad themes of health, illness and treatment processes. Secondly, the clash between the two groups is fuelled by internal as well as acrossgroup conflict on notions of cure and the spiritual basis of illness. The function of this clash is to underscore professional legitimacy and expertise in a complex area of illness where individuals are in constant eclectic search for answers to cure. Thirdly and critically, there is strong indication that the function of the clash is constantly undermined by illness action, and it is recognition of this that opens up practical ways for cross-professional collaboration. In the concluding sections, some practical recommendations for improving health policy are outlined and discussed

Health care · Legitimacy · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Sociology of health and illness · Community Health and Development · Medicine · Psychology · Public Health and Social Inequalities · Social Representations and Identity

• Developing effective chronic disease interventions in Africa

  Open Access•Ama De-Graft Aikins, Petra Boynton et al.•Globalization and Health•2010

  Incluir item

• Healer shopping in Africa

  Open Access•Ama De-Graft Aikins•BMJ•2005

  Incluir item

• A social representation is not a quiet thing

  Open Access•Caroline Howarth•British Journal of Social…•2006

  Incluir item

• Understanding tourism development of historic districts from a representational perspective

  Suyan Shen, Jin Zhao et al.•Journal of Tourism and Cultural…•2015

  Incluir item

• What has been preventing the emergence of a broad social movement on diabetes (and NCDs)? Insights from the mobilisation of diabetes patients' associations in Bamako, Mali

  Open Access•Jessica Martini, Annick Tijou Traoré et al.•Global Public Health•2021

  Incluir item

• An Assessment of Care-Seeking Behavior in Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District

  Open Access•Prince M Amegbor•SAGE Open•2017

  Incluir item

• Evidence produced by qualitative investigations on type 2 diabetes

  Open Access•Marcelo Eduardo Pfeiffer Castellanos, Nelson Filice De Barros et al.•Interface - Comunicação Saúde…•2011

  Incluir item

• Exploring Biomedical and Ethnomedical Representations of Diabetes in Ghana and the Scope for Cross-professional Collaboration

  Open Access•Ama De-Graft Aikins•Social Science Information•2002

  Incluir item

• Social representations

  Robert M Farr, Serge Moscovici•Social representations•1984

  Incluir item

• Worlds of Illness

  Alan Radley•Worlds of Illness•2002

  Incluir item

• Aids research and prevention

  Open Access•H Joffe•British Journal of Medical…•1996

  Incluir item

• Explanatory models of mental illness in sub-Saharan Africa

  Open Access•Vikram Patel•Social Science & Medicine•1995

  Incluir item

• White, red and black

  Open Access•Jon P Kirby•Social Science & Medicine•1997

  Incluir item

• The reinterpretation of Western pharmaceuticals among the Mende of Sierra Leone

  Open Access•Caroline H Bledsoe, Caroline Bledsoe et al.•Social Science & Medicine•1985

  Incluir item

• Anthropological perspectives on chronic illness

  Open Access•Suzanne Heurtin-Robert, Suzanne Heurtin-Roberts et al.•Social Science & Medicine•1993

  Incluir item

• Exploring Biomedical and Ethnomedical Representations of Diabetes in Ghana and the Scope for Cross-professional Collaboration

  Open Access•Ama De-Graft Aikins•Social Science Information•2002

  Incluir item

• The Modernization of Tradition

  Open Access•Wolfgang Wagner, Gerard Duveen et al.•Culture & Psychology•1999

  Incluir item