Political Science

Today, the world is characterized by globalization. However, little did some of the people know that globalization has its roots on a much older practice colonization. This brought forward and created concepts, one of which is global health. Anthropologists Arthur Kleinman and Paul Farmer have different views on global health and medicine. Their works are both insightful and can be used to better analyze and break down the socio cultural, socio economic and socio political conditions affecting health and medicine and its practices and how it is being undertaken in the global level. It started from the colonial era wherein westerners brought to non western locations their own brand and approach to medicine and health, which impacted health and medicine characteristics and practices as well as conditions in many countries that have colonial backgrounds.

Discussion
Global sickness and health as it is known today puts the perspectives of Farmer and Kleinman in an impending collision course, sooner or later. This is because an example and an aspect from the history of colonial medicine and public health will act as proof that soon only one between the two will strongly define the condition of global health and sickness. The economics-based perspective of Farmer can be easily understood since economic inequality is easily understood. The poor is not as accessible to the things they need compared to the rich. Todays world is still strongly divided in economic class - inside communities, inside societies, inside countries. The question is will this be the greater factor in how global sickness and health Or will the condition lean strongly and favorably towards Kleinman instead In the analysis of this aspect, it is important to look at the history of colonial medicine, public health and the conditions.

For example, European explorers who landed and established footholds and residences in the Amazonian territories in the South America brought with them their own medicine and their own medical approach to treating sicknesses and maintaining health. As they settled in, they suffered from diseases that they dont know how to cure. They also witnessed the natives own way of healing and medical intervention. This is often hinged on the religious and spiritual beliefs when the Westerns are depending on the merits of what was then to them is considered as acceptable science in medical intervention and practices. This is a microcosm that represents not just the situation at the time but the universal and unchanging condition on western medicine and non western medicine, often described as alternative. Westerns believe that this is just an alternative when in places where they are used, the situation is opposite. These people unaware of the belief in research as applied to medicine. In comparison no one should be considered as better than the other when empirical, authoritative and competitive proof is unavailable (Angell, 1997, p. 847).

Colonialism and its persistence in the global economics today tend to impact global health, by force feeding communities with medicine that they think is right. In fact, the best it can reflect is that it is tested effective on their particular kind, and not on the non-westerners. This may not make any sense at first. The truth is that at the end of the colonialist era of the past, the world should accept the fact that despite the universality in being a human being, culture and tradition has strongly shaped and altered not just the non physical but also the physical faculties and characteristics of individual. It creates variations and deviations in physiological patterns which in turn render western medicine as something that should not be considered as a cure-all. In the growing concept of global health, Kleinmans concept will take a very significant role. It will challenge the ability of the world to accept the idea that western and non-western beliefs are different. In the practice of medicine, non-western options should be provided with equal grounds and merit so that it can flourish and help people. In the colonial era, the main approach of the conquerors are suppression of the practice and beliefs which eventually led to the dying down of the practices and beliefs in medicine, healing and health.

Those that did not die were marginalized, relegated to selected groups who still believe in its potency. Many of the non-western worlds started resorting to western health concepts and approaches, not as a result of its efficacy at first, but because it was a system and a way of life imposed upon them. While Farmers ideas have its own bearing and merit, the concept of economic divide is present in the past and remains unchanged in the present or in the future. It is impossible for the world to reach a level of economic equality. There will always be those who are more superior economically and those who are inferior in this aspect. This economic inequality will always result in health inequality, as it was in the past during the colonial era, as it is today.

What Kleinman is discussing opens the door regarding the very important idea on western medicine and its counterpart in non-western places how culture has defined the significance of both, and how the end of the colonial era can give the world the chance to put similar and equal significance to both western and non-western health and medicine approaches, perspectives and attitudes. Global health started with the colonial practices. With the end of the colonial practices, the implication on health by the west continues to prevail. It is something that needs to be addressed to allow non western medical perspectives, approaches and practices to reach its own optimum potential and be given the chance to display what amount or level of potency it possesses. These are not allowed to fully flourish with the intervention and suppression of the colonials at the time. How culture is perceived will shape the outcome of health and health related practices in the colonial settings.

For example, South American culture was decimated and burned to the ground by the conquering Europeans because of how the Europeans perceived South American culture. Because of this perception, the people under colonial rule in this situation and in other situations were removed from their health and medical practices and were forced to adapt western approach. Had the colonial masters been more accommodating to the existing medical and health practices, the people would have not been made unable to access accepted medical practices. The health condition would have been maintained by such practice. However, since this was not the case, medical practices that are not western were destroyed, marginalized and to some extent were even subjected to propaganda to discourage the people from using it or resorting to it. In the end, it impacted the ability of the people to attend to their health. They are critical of western health approaches. Even if they wanted to, cultural barriers are reason why these are inaccessible to them, leaving them empty handed in the end. An example of this is the modern day case in Africa, a country that as been strongly influenced by western beliefs many have relied on the west and abandoned their own medical approaches. Because of that, behavior regarding western medicine and health practices, like for AIDS, have been strongly adhered to by the Africans (McNeil, 2003).

Conclusion
Indeed, the west has had a penchant for ignoring the features and characteristics of the non western countries during the colonial era. It appears it has not stopped as a trend. The attitude still affects the world and global heath today (Birn, 2005, p. 514). Political economy would come into play but it would only influence or be of assistance to sectors that has the currency they can use to gain access to health care in the colonial setting. In the end, it appears that Kleinmans explanation seem more persuasive for accounting for health disparities in the colonial world. Economics is not a strong factor. The poor people in the colonial setting always have their local medicine man to treat them, without the financial burden commonly attributed to todays health care. The differences in culture and the resulting suppression created a significant problem, in the past in the colonial setting, in the present, and with high degree of probability even in the future.