Why biomedicine needs an ecological theory of the body
department or school: Arts, Faculty of
department or school: Anthropology, Department of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Bratty, Joan E. M.
issued: 2021-04-28T16:50:15Z
issued: 2021
related degree: Master of Arts - MA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Family physicians were surveyed and interviewed during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine their perception of both pathogenic and symbiotic microbes. Evidence from a brief survey, a series of interviews and a review of recent literature suggests that a paradigm shift is occurring away from the germ theory of disease causation and towards an ecological theory of the human body. Conceptions of the human body are shifting from seeing the body as a nation-state at war with invading microbes towards an ecological view which sees human bodies as forming and embedded within microbial ecosystems, which are themselves under ecologic threat. The global challenge of antimicrobial resistance requires cross-disciplinary collaboration and a better understanding of how differing conceptions of the body and microbes may influence the success or failure of policies designed to minimize the inappropriate use of antimicrobial medications in clinical practice. Further research is needed to develop policies that encourage microbial stewardship as an alternative approach to antimicrobial stewardship.
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/78003
note: WHY BIOMEDICINE NEEDS AN ECOLOGICAL THEORY OF THE BODY by Joan E. M. Bratty B.A., The University of British Columbia, 1989 M.D., The University of British Columbia, 1993 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Anthropology) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) April 2021 © Joan E. M. Bratty, 2021 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, a thesis entitled: Why Biomedicine Needs an Ecological Theory of the Body submitted by April 21, 2021 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology Examining Committee: Dr. William McKellin, Department of Anthropology, UBC Supervisor Dr. Shaylih Muehlmann, Department of Anthropology, UBC UB Supervisory Committee Member iii Abstract Family physicians were surveyed and interviewed during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine their perception of both pathogenic and symbiotic microbes. Evidence from a brief survey, a series of interviews and a review of recent literature suggests that a paradigm shift is occurring away from the germ theory of disease causation and towards an ecological theory of the human body. Conceptions of the human body are shifting from seeing the body as a nation-state at war with invading microbes towards an ecological view which sees human bodies as forming and embedded within microbial ecosystems, which are themselves under ecologic threat. The global challenge of antimicrobial resistance requires cross-disciplinary collaboration and a better understanding of how differing conceptions of the body and microbes may influence the success or failure of policies designed to minimize the inappropriate use of antimicrobial medications in clinical practice. Further research is needed to develop policies that encourage microbial stewardship as an alternative approac…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2021-05
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0397005
language: eng
degree discipline: Anthropology
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/78003