Medical Anthropology MCQs January 8, 2026June 11, 2024 by u930973931_answers 40 min Score: 0 Attempted: 0/40 Subscribe 1. What is Medical Anthropology? (A) The study of ancient medical practices (B) The study of health and illness within human cultures (C) The study of medical technology (D) The study of the human body 2. Which term describes the beliefs and practices regarding health and illness in a particular culture? (A) Biomedicine (B) Epidemiology (C) Ethnomedicine (D) Pharmacology 3. Who is considered the founder of Medical Anthropology? (A) Edward Burnett Tylor (B) Claude Lévi-Strauss (C) Rudolf Virchow (D) Margaret Mead 4. What does the term “biocultural approach” in Medical Anthropology refer to? (A) The study of the interaction between biology and culture (B) The study of biological aspects of culture (C) The study of cultural rituals related to health (D) The study of ancient biological practices 5. Which of the following concepts is central to the practice of Medical Anthropology? (A) Structuralism (B) Technological determinism (C) Social Darwinism (D) Cultural relativism 6. What is “ethnographic fieldwork”? (A) Laboratory-based research (B) Immersive study of people and cultures (C) Clinical trials (D) Statistical analysis of health data 7. Which branch of Medical Anthropology focuses on how socioeconomic factors influence health? (A) Critical Medical Anthropology (B) Cultural Epidemiology (C) Ethnomedicine (D) Physical Anthropology 8. The “explanatory model” in Medical Anthropology refers to: (A) The biomedical explanation of a disease (B) The model explaining the spread of diseases (C) The patient’s understanding and explanation of their illness (D) The model used to explain cultural practices 9. Which of the following is NOT a method commonly used in Medical Anthropology? (A) Participant observation (B) Interviews (C) Clinical trials (D) Surveys 10. The term “medical pluralism” refers to: (A) The integration of multiple medical professionals in patient care (B) The coexistence of different medical systems within a society (C) The combination of various medical technologies (D) The study of multiple diseases simultaneously 11. What is “applied Medical Anthropology”? (A) Theoretical study of health cultures (B) The practical application of anthropological methods to health issues (C) Laboratory research in Medical Anthropology (D) The study of ancient medical texts 12. Which of the following best describes “biomedical hegemony”? (A) Dominance of traditional medicine (B) Dominance of cultural beliefs in medicine (C) Dominance of Western biomedicine over other medical systems (D) Equal standing of various medical systems 13. Which anthropologist is known for his work on the concept of “embodiment”? (A) Claude Lévi-Strauss (B) Marcel Mauss (C) Arthur Kleinman (D) Paul Farmer 14. The study of how health and illness are influenced by social, political, and economic contexts is known as: (A) Ethnomedicine (B) Biomedicine (C) Social Medicine (D) Critical Medical Anthropology 15. The “social determinants of health” include: (A) Genetic factors (B) Socioeconomic status, education, and environment (C) Diet and exercise (D) Medical technology 16. What does “structural violence” refer to in Medical Anthropology? (A) Physical violence in medical settings (B) Harm caused by social structures and inequalities (C) Violence against medical personnel (D) Structural damage in healthcare facilities 17. The practice of using herbal remedies in a particular culture is an example of: (A) Biomedicine (B) Ethnobotany (C) Pharmacology (D) Ethnomedicine 18. Who is a prominent figure in the development of Critical Medical Anthropology? (A) Margaret Mead (B) Nancy Scheper-Hughes (C) Bronisław Malinowski (D) Franz Boas 19. Which of the following best describes “disease” from a biocultural perspective? (A) A condition resulting from the interaction of biology and culture (B) A cultural belief (C) A deviation from cultural norms (D) A purely biological malfunction 20. Which method involves researchers living within a community to understand their health practices? (A) Clinical trials (B) Participant observation (C) Laboratory experiments (D) Data mining 21. What does “medicalization” refer to? (A) The expansion of biomedical categories into everyday life (B) The process of adopting traditional healing methods (C) The privatization of healthcare (D) The study of medical history 22. Which of the following is a focus of Medical Anthropology? (A) Health disparities among different populations (B) DNA sequencing (C) Development of new medical devices (D) Drug efficacy testing 23. The concept of “holistic health” in Medical Anthropology includes: (A) Only physical health (B) Spiritual health alone (C) Only mental health (D) Physical, mental, and social well-being 24. What is the “therapeutic process” in Medical Anthropology? (A) The development of new medications (B) The cultural practices and beliefs surrounding healing (C) The treatment plan prescribed by doctors (D) The process of diagnosing diseases 25. Which term refers to the way a person experiences and talks about their illness? (A) Disease (B) Pathology (C) Symptomatology (D) Illness narrative 26. “Folk illness” in Medical Anthropology refers to: (A) Illnesses that are recognized within a specific culture but not by biomedicine (B) Diseases found only in rural areas (C) Illnesses with no known cure (D) Common colds and flus 27. Which of the following is a key theme in Medical Anthropology? (A) Technological advancement in healthcare (B) Genetic engineering (C) Globalization and its impact on health (D) Space medicine 28. What does “ethnopharmacology” study? (A) Traditional uses of plants and substances in healing (B) The biochemical properties of drugs (C) The cultural rituals surrounding medication (D) The economic aspects of pharmaceuticals 29. Which term describes health interventions that incorporate the patient’s cultural beliefs and practices? (A) Holistic medicine (B) Cultural competence (C) Integrated medicine (D) Complementary medicine 30. “Susto” is an example of: (A) A folk illness (B) A biomedical condition (C) A genetic disorder (D) A viral infection 31. What does “cross-cultural comparison” in Medical Anthropology involve? (A) Comparing health systems across different species (B) Comparing health outcomes across different cultures (C) Comparing medical technologies across countries (D) Comparing genetic traits across populations 32. The term “biopower” in Medical Anthropology, coined by Michel Foucault, refers to: (A) The control of populations through medical and biological means (B) The influence of biological research on policy (C) The use of biotechnology in healthcare (D) The empowerment of patients through medical knowledge 33. What is “ethnopsychiatry”? (A) The study of cultural concepts of mental illness and healing (B) The comparison of psychiatric treatments across cultures (C) The study of psychiatric conditions in ethnically diverse populations (D) The application of psychiatric methods in ethnographic research 34. Which term refers to the cultural interpretation of symptoms and suffering? (A) Pathogenesis (B) Disease ecology (C) Sickness idiom (D) Health belief model 35. What does “cultural competence” in healthcare mean? (A) Providing care based on universal standards (B) Standardizing medical treatments (C) Recognizing and respecting cultural differences in healthcare settings (D) Ignoring cultural differences in clinical practice 36. In Medical Anthropology, “emic” perspectives refer to: (A) Insider’s view and understanding of their own culture (B) Outsider’s view on a culture (C) General scientific perspective (D) Ethnographic fieldwork notes 37. Which concept involves the integration of traditional and modern medical practices? (A) Medicalization (B) Biomedicine (C) Medical pluralism (D) Ethnocentrism 38. Which of the following best describes the focus of Critical Medical Anthropology? (A) Analysis of medical equipment (B) Examination of how power and inequality affect health (C) Study of ancient medical practices (D) Development of new pharmaceuticals 39. What does “global health” encompass in Medical Anthropology? (A) Health issues that affect only wealthy countries (B) Health issues that are universal across different regions (C) Local health issues and solutions (D) Technological innovations in health 40. What is the primary goal of “applied medical anthropology”? (A) To address real-world health problems using anthropological methods (B) To conduct theoretical research (C) To develop new medical technologies (D) To study ancient health practices