在台湾的人类学和民族学研究中,医疗人类学是重要的一个分支,自上个世纪70年代以来,涌现出诸多不俗的研究成果。其大致的研究轨迹是从人类学经典的医学跨文化研究入手,再逐步扩展到精神疾病、公共卫生、身体经验等更加宽泛的领域,晚近的研究则呈现多元化趋势。对相关研究领域进行分类,可以发现台湾医疗人类学研究在宗教医疗领域呈现出鲜明特色。然而,台湾医疗人类学也存在一些可资反思之处,例如缺少深度的医疗人类学专题民族志,学科的地位仍不明显等。台湾学者的努力尤其是对于西方学界相关理论的积极吸收和对本土文化资源的重视,将可对今后大陆医学人类学发展提供很好的借鉴。
Medical anthropology is an important branch of anthropology or Taiwan, and many striking works have appeared since 1970s. First studies ethnology in were mainly conducted from the cross-cultural approach, and later on the studies were gradually expanded to such topics as psychiatric care, public health and body experience. The recent studies have shown a diversified tendency, with their striking feature in the studies on religions therapy. There is something to be reflected on, however. For examples, there are little deep ethnological works, and the subject has not yet occupied a remarkable position. Still, the medical anthropology in Taiwan is referential to the anthropologists active introduction of the Western theories and their emphas in Mainland, particularly in their is on the local cultural resources.