Q.1 What is the primary focus of medical anthropology?
Study of ancient artifacts
Study of human diseases in cultural contexts
Study of language evolution
Study of political systems
Explanation - Medical anthropology examines how health, illness, and healing are shaped by cultural beliefs and social structures.
Correct answer is: Study of human diseases in cultural contexts
Q.2 Which term refers to traditional healing systems used by local communities?
Biomedicine
Ethnomedicine
Pathology
Genetics
Explanation - Ethnomedicine studies how different cultures understand disease and employ healing practices.
Correct answer is: Ethnomedicine
Q.3 Who introduced the concept of 'medical pluralism'?
Margaret Mead
Arthur Kleinman
Franz Boas
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Explanation - Arthur Kleinman highlighted how multiple medical systems coexist within societies.
Correct answer is: Arthur Kleinman
Q.4 Which healing practice emphasizes the balance of energy or life force in the body?
Ayurveda
Pathology
Epidemiology
Surgery
Explanation - Ayurveda, a traditional Indian system, focuses on balancing energies (doshas) to maintain health.
Correct answer is: Ayurveda
Q.5 The term 'biomedicine' refers to:
Healing through rituals and prayers
Scientific study and treatment of diseases
Herbal medicine practices
Community health counseling
Explanation - Biomedicine is the dominant Western medical system focusing on biology, pathology, and clinical methods.
Correct answer is: Scientific study and treatment of diseases
Q.6 Which concept emphasizes understanding patients’ cultural beliefs about illness?
Cultural relativism
Illness narrative
Medical pluralism
Exorcism
Explanation - An illness narrative involves understanding the patient's perspective and cultural context of sickness.
Correct answer is: Illness narrative
Q.7 Shamanism is primarily associated with:
Scientific laboratories
Spiritual healing and rituals
Pharmaceutical development
Biostatistics
Explanation - Shamans use rituals, spiritual journeys, and natural remedies to heal individuals in traditional societies.
Correct answer is: Spiritual healing and rituals
Q.8 Which term describes the social, cultural, and environmental factors affecting health?
Epidemiology
Socioeconomic determinants of health
Pathophysiology
Pharmacology
Explanation - Medical anthropology studies how culture, social status, and environment influence disease prevalence and health outcomes.
Correct answer is: Socioeconomic determinants of health
Q.9 What is 'folk medicine'?
Government healthcare programs
Community-based traditional healing practices
Hospital surgery procedures
Laboratory research on genetics
Explanation - Folk medicine refers to informal healing knowledge passed down through generations within communities.
Correct answer is: Community-based traditional healing practices
Q.10 Which of the following is an example of a culturally specific syndrome?
Diabetes
Susto
Influenza
Hypertension
Explanation - Susto, found in Latin America, is a cultural syndrome where the soul is believed to leave the body due to fright or stress.
Correct answer is: Susto
Q.11 Medical anthropologists often use which method to study healing practices?
Participant observation
DNA sequencing
Clinical trials
MRI scanning
Explanation - Anthropologists immerse themselves in communities to understand cultural practices and beliefs about health and healing.
Correct answer is: Participant observation
Q.12 Which traditional Chinese practice focuses on acupuncture and herbal medicine?
Ayurveda
TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Homeopathy
Osteopathy
Explanation - TCM integrates acupuncture, herbal remedies, and other techniques to balance qi (vital energy) in the body.
Correct answer is: TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Q.13 The study of how culture shapes perceptions of mental illness is known as:
Medical pluralism
Cultural psychiatry
Epidemiology
Pharmacology
Explanation - Cultural psychiatry investigates how cultural beliefs influence understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders.
Correct answer is: Cultural psychiatry
Q.14 What does the term 'healer-client relationship' emphasize?
The biological mechanism of treatment
The interaction between the healer and patient
The financial aspects of healthcare
The pharmaceutical industry
Explanation - Medical anthropologists examine how trust, communication, and cultural understanding shape healing outcomes.
Correct answer is: The interaction between the healer and patient
Q.15 Which of the following is an example of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)?
Surgery
Acupuncture
Antibiotic treatment
Vaccination
Explanation - CAM includes practices outside conventional biomedicine, like acupuncture, homeopathy, and herbal remedies.
Correct answer is: Acupuncture
Q.16 Ethnomedical systems differ from biomedicine because they:
Use only surgery
Incorporate cultural beliefs and rituals
Ignore symptoms
Focus on laboratory experiments
Explanation - Ethnomedical systems treat illness considering cultural context, spirituality, and traditional knowledge.
Correct answer is: Incorporate cultural beliefs and rituals
Q.17 Which of the following is studied under the concept of 'medical pluralism'?
Only Western medicine
Coexistence of multiple healing systems
Genetic mutations
Hospital administration
Explanation - Medical pluralism refers to the simultaneous use of different medical systems within a community.
Correct answer is: Coexistence of multiple healing systems
Q.18 In medical anthropology, 'illness' is distinguished from 'disease' as:
Illness is culturally perceived, disease is biological
Illness is always fatal, disease is not
Illness is viral, disease is bacterial
Illness is treated only by doctors, disease by shamans
Explanation - Disease refers to measurable biological conditions, while illness refers to the individual's experience shaped by culture.
Correct answer is: Illness is culturally perceived, disease is biological
Q.19 Which practice emphasizes using plants for healing in indigenous communities?
Pharmacology
Herbalism
Surgery
Radiology
Explanation - Herbalism involves using plants and natural substances for medicinal purposes, often in cultural contexts.
Correct answer is: Herbalism
Q.20 The concept of 'placebo effect' demonstrates:
The biochemical mechanism of drugs
The psychological and cultural influence on healing
The universal cure for all diseases
The exclusive role of genetics
Explanation - Medical anthropology studies how expectations, beliefs, and cultural meanings can influence treatment outcomes.
Correct answer is: The psychological and cultural influence on healing
Q.21 Which anthropologist conducted research on health systems in rural China?
Paul Farmer
Margaret Mead
Arthur Kleinman
Bronislaw Malinowski
Explanation - Kleinman's work examined cultural influences on health and illness in Chinese rural communities.
Correct answer is: Arthur Kleinman
Q.22 The 'sick role' concept was introduced by:
Talcott Parsons
Emile Durkheim
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Franz Boas
Explanation - Parsons described the sick role as societal expectations about behavior and responsibilities of the ill.
Correct answer is: Talcott Parsons
Q.23 Which approach integrates both cultural and biomedical perspectives in treatment?
Integrated medicine
Homeopathy
Shamanic rituals only
Pharmacology alone
Explanation - Integrated medicine combines conventional biomedicine with culturally-informed healing practices for holistic care.
Correct answer is: Integrated medicine
Q.24 Which of the following is a focus of medical anthropology?
Studying the cultural factors in disease transmission
Developing new surgical tools
Analyzing DNA sequences
Designing hospital architecture
Explanation - Medical anthropology studies how culture, behavior, and social systems influence disease spread and health outcomes.
Correct answer is: Studying the cultural factors in disease transmission
Q.25 Which traditional healing practice is common in Native American communities?
Sweat lodge ceremonies
Acupuncture
Homeopathy
Allopathic surgery
Explanation - Sweat lodge rituals involve purification and spiritual healing, reflecting cultural beliefs about wellness.
Correct answer is: Sweat lodge ceremonies