Research summary
Medical anthropology draws upon social, cultural, biological and linguistic anthropology to understand the factors that influence health and well-being. As a medical anthropologist, Dr. Kathleen Rice, Canada Research Chair in Medical Anthropology of Primary Health Careers, is exploring the underlying ideologies and practices that shape healthcare in areas where we have deficiencies, such as chronic pain care, rural health and perinatal care.
Rice is running active research programs in urban Montreal, northern Ontario and rural South Africa. She and her research team are grounding their analyses in the everyday practices of coping, providing care and seeking treatment so they can identify inadequacies in policy, practice and training.