Cultivating Health Cultural Perspectives on Promoting Health

? How can HIV infection be reduced among commercial sex workers? ? Why are alternative therapies becoming increasingly popular? ? How can Eastern philosophies and therapies be integrated into Western therapies? These are just some examples of the practical problems and policy issues that Cultivating Health addresses. Malcolm MacLachlan situates health promotion and intervention within the cultural and community contexts in which they are applied. Drawn from across five continents and working in a variety of disciplines, the contributors are all leading authorities in their fields. Together, they show how it is possible to enhance health by working through the psychological conduit of culture. Cultivating Health is divided into three sections. The first section deals with the cultural context in which health must be cultivated, the second section deals with parallel approaches to cultivating health (pluralism) and the third and final section addresses three very different and quite specific perspectives on cultivating health. This book will be important for researchers, as well as undergraduate students and postgraduate students in the health and social sciences, especially psychology, social studies, medicine, anthropology and nursing, who need to provide health care across cultural boundaries.

Malcolm MacLachlan, Trinity College Dublin.