Um balanço da antropologia da saúde no Brasil e seus diálogos com as antropologias mundiais

Abstract

This article assesses the anthropological research on health in Brazil in light of discussions on “modernity/coloniality” and world anthropologies. Since the 1970s, a network of anthropologists investigating the theme of health has formed and consolidated accompanying the expansion of graduate programs in the country. We describe the emergence of research groups, meetings and publications, in order to characterize Brazilian anthropology of health as a research program that distinguishes itself from the European and North American anthropologies called “medical”, “of health” or “of illness”. In order to explore the participation of Brazilian researchers in the global discourse on health and, more specificially, in the North-South dialogue, the visibility and circulation of references in academic publications were examined. From a comparative perspective, we argue that the international impact of Brazilian anthropological research reflects the historical and political processes of research in Brazil, including perspectives, interests, ethos and values, as well as the dynamics of production and circulation of academic and scientific production in this field of knowledge on the international scene.