Refugees and Health
Ethnographic Approaches

Marita Eastmond

Refugee health, as a rapidly growing field of research and clinical practice, is predominantly a discourse of the medical and behavioral sciences, and one grounded in Western theories and methods. One methodological tradition is primarily empirical and quantitative, such as epidemiological surveys or psychometric instruments developed for the clinical interview or to screen for mental health problems. Others, in particular psychodynamic theory and therapeutic practice, have more of a qualitative and interpretative approach, focusing on the individual or the family in intensive and long-term interaction and dialogue to restore social functioning and health. As such, they are epistemologically more akin to anthropology in its interpretative tradition, with a focus on lived experience and the role of meaning in human lives.