Culture and Meaning in Health Services Research: An Applied Approach

Culture and Meaning in Health Services Research is a practical guide to applying interpretive qualitative methods to pressing health services delivery problems. A leading medical anthropologist who has also spent many years working in applied healthcare settings, Sobo combines sophisticated theoretical insights and methodological rigor with authentic, real-world examples and applications. In addition to guiding the reader through specific methods such as focus groups, rapid assessment, and interviewing, Sobo considers the social relationships and power dynamics that influence field entry, data ownership, research deliverables, and authorship decisions. Crafted to communicate the importance of culture and meaning across the many disciplines engaged in health services research, this book is ideal for courses in such fields as public health and health administration, nursing, anthropology, health psychology, and sociology.