Onkologie. 2015:9(2):96-98

The Meaning of Illness, Dying and Death for the Life of Contemporary Roma People: Perspective of Social Anthropology

Irena Kašparová

Fakulta sociálních studií, Masarykova univerzita v Brně

This paper aims to describe the ways Roma people deal with illness and death from the perspective of social anthropology. Social science

defines illness primarily as an opposite to the state of health. As such, it sees it to large extend as a subjective and relative phenomenon,

seriously determined by ones native culture. To illustrate the context, the author uses Explanatory model of Arthur Kleinman (1980) and

sets it against the primary data, observed during the interaction between the Roma and the majority medical staff in the current Czech

Republic. Paper does not offer practical solutions. Rather, it points to differences and similarities in acting and thinking about illness

by two different cultures, uplifting relativity of its validity in mutual interaction, as well as stereotypes that burden both teams of actors.

Keywords: Roma, illness, death, medication, anthropology

Published: April 10, 2015  Show citation