The medical community has made remarkable advances in delivering care. Despite these advances, there remain considerable challenges that hinder the efforts of this community. Cultural opposition is among these challenges. Across the world, there are cultures that discourage and forbid their members from seeking medical care (Behere et al., 2013). This issue is an intriguing question for research. It is important to understand the role that culture plays in defining access to and the distribution of medical services. An understanding of this issue will allow the medical community to determine how to encourage reluctant communities to embrace modern medicine.
Research question
Before setting out to conduct research, it is common practice for scholars to develop questions that will guide the research process (Whitley & Kite, 2012). These questions allow the researchers to determine the issues to focus on. It is proposed that research should be carried out to determine the role that culture plays in shaping the attitudes of individuals regarding modern medicine. The following are some of the questions that the research will address:
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
What role do cultural dynamics play in defining attitudes regarding modern medicine?
Can culture be blamed for refusal to seek medical services?
What implications does culture present for the medical profession?
How can medical professionals encourage communities to embrace modern medicine and abandon hostile attitudes?
Hypothesis
As they set out to conduct research, scholars often make predictions regarding what the research will reveal. These predictions are expressed in the form of hypotheses. The sociological research that has been proposed above should help to confirm a number of hypotheses. One of these hypotheses is that culture is indeed responsible, at least in part, for the refusal to seek medical services. This hypothesis is both sound and verifiable. The hypothesis is also based on facts that have been established through research. Researchers have been able to confirm that some cultures discourage communities from seeking treatment. The other hypothesis that the research will seek to prove is that the link between culture and attitudes towards modern medicine presents implications for medical practice. Once it is established that culture is responsible in some way for hostile attitudes that some individuals hold towards modern medicine, the medical community can take steps to encourage individuals to seek treatment. The research that will be carried out will either confirm or lead to the dismissal of the two hypotheses.
Social paradigm
Sociological research has made tremendous progress over the years. This means that researchers no longer have to build their research processes from the ground. They can rely on sociological theories to develop their hypotheses and to guide the entire research process. As has been noted above, the research that has been proposed seeks to establish that there is a link between cultural beliefs and the refusal to seek medical care. Before carrying out the investigation, the research will examine the existing theories that shed light on the relationship between culture and medical services. Nicola Gale is one of the scholars who have explored the link between culture and modern medicine. In an article that she authored, she observes that alternative medicine is gaining ground and is being recognized (Gale, 2014). From Gale’s discussion, some insights into the role of culture can be gained. Alternative medicine is deeply rooted in cultural practices. Many communities have traditional methods for treating their members. While these methods are inferior to modern medicine, they have shielded these communities against death for generations. Therefore, it can be argued that the hostile attitudes that some communities hold against modern medicine stems from the fear that modern medicine poses an existential threat to alternative medicine and traditional practices. This can explain why some communities remain hostile to modern medicine despite the numerous advantages that modern medicine presents over traditional approaches.
Lahrach and Furnham have added their voices to the discussion on the link between modern medicine and culture. In their discussion, they introduce the issue of religion and argue that it shapes the attitudes that individuals hold regarding modern medicine (Lahrach & Furnham, 2017). They contend that conspiracy theories regarding medicine are emerging and blame this on cultural and religious forces. They also observe that individuals who hold right-wing beliefs are more likely to develop conspiracy theories (Lahrach & Furnham, 2017). These theories raise questions about the intent and the impact of modern medicine. Essentially, the theories seek to strip modern medicine of its legitimacy and to discourage individuals from seeking medical care. The theory that Lahrach and Furnham present provides solid ground for the hypotheses that the proposed research seeks to confirm.
Research methodology
Data collection is one of the most vital components of the research process. Through data collection, researchers are able to obtain the insights that they need to prove their hypothesis. For the proposed research exercise, interviews are the main method of data collection that will be used. The choice of this method is sound and grounded in established research practice. Interviews enable researchers to obtain first-hand information (Whitley & Kite, 2013). Thank to interviews, researchers are able to engage the parties who are primarily involved in a given situation. For the proposed research, patients who refuse treatment will be interviewed. They will be required to answer a number of the questions. Why they are rejecting treatment despite the fact that their health depends on it is one of the questions that will be posed. It is hoped that the interviews will allow for the collection of primary and uncorrupted data. This data collection method is in line with the hypothesis that the research seeks to prove. The research seeks to establish that there is indeed a positive association between cultural beliefs and attitudes regarding modern medicine. If most of those interviewed identify their cultural beliefs as the key force behind their refusal to be provided with medical care, then it can confidently be concluded that culture does actually play a role in shaping attitudes towards modern medicine.
General issues in research
The research process goes beyond identifying the method for data collection. It is also important for the researcher to operationalize variables, define the sampling method that they will use and develop measures for enhancing reliability. Culture and attitudes towards modern medicine are the key variables in the proposed research. To operationalize these variables, clear definitions will be provided. Culture will be defined as the provisions and practices that a community has embraced. To limit the definition of this variable, only provisions and practices that concern healthcare will be considered. The attitudes towards modern medicine will be assessed using the interviews discussed above. One’s attitude will either be friendly or hostile. To ensure that the research process delivers reliable results, clear and simple questions will be asked in the interview. This will ensure that the responses that the participants provide are an accurate depiction of their situation. Reliability will also be enhanced through careful analysis of the collected data. Another important issue that should receive special focus is the sampling method. When done properly, sampling allows researchers to obtain insights that are representative of the entire population. For proper sampling, a medical facility that receives patients from a wide range of cultural backgrounds will serve as the source of the sample for the research.
In conclusion, the proposed research seeks to investigate the impact that culture has on modern medicine. This research aims to establish that culture is to blame for the hostile attitudes that some patients hold. To achieve this, the research will follow the research questions that have been developed. It is expected that at the end of the investigation, it will have been established that backward cultural practices and beliefs are to blame for the refusal to be provided with medical services. This finding will be significant as it will challenge medical practitioners to focus their efforts on educating communities on the importance of modern medicine.
References
Behere, P. B., Das, A., Yadav, R. & Behere, A. P. (2013). Religion and Mental Health.
Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 55 (Suppl 2), S187-S194.
Gale, N. (2014). The Sociology of Traditional, Complementary and Modern Medicine.
Sociology Compass, 8 (6), 805-822.
Lahrach, Y. & Furnham, A. (2017). Are Modern Health Worries Associate with Medical
Conspiracy Theories. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 99, 89-94.
Whitley, B. E. & Kite, M. E. (2013). Principles of Research in Behavioral Science . Third
Edition. London: Routledge.
