The Role of Anthropologists in Primary Health Care: Reconciling Professional and Community Interests

Anthropologists working in primary health care (PHC) find themselves in a variety of social settings and exercising quite diverse roles. Some find themselves working in community-based applied research projects, as is described by Paul (1955), Tax (1958), and Holmberg and Lasswell (1962). Others are within international health organizations such as WHO, PAHO, and UNICEF, or in governmental agencies such as USAID (Foster 1977, 1982). Anthropologists can also be found in increasing numbers as consultants or employees within private voluntary organizations (PVOs) (Pillsbury 1985).