About the book
In the mid-twentieth century, Mexico became a hub for global experiments in public health and social science. Best known as the birthplace of the Green Revolution, Mexico also pioneered the first large-scale effort to train community health workers to combine western medical practices with Indigenous healing traditions. The Power to Harm and Heal uncovers how that groundbreaking program, led by the state-run Instituto Nacional Indigenista, reshaped health care across rural Mexico.
Drawing on archival sources and oral histories, Joshua Mentanko illuminates the lives and labors of the early intercultural health workers who toiled in this program decades before international health agencies adopted similar models. Mentanko also examines the complex relationships between policymakers, scientists, and the communities they aimed to serve, and how medicine became a tool for both nation-building and cultural negotiation. Further connecting Mexico’s rural health initiatives to shifting global geopolitics, Mentanko elucidates how such initiatives emerged alongside decolonization movements and Third World struggles for economic development. Placing intercultural medicine at the center of debates surrounding modernization, Indigenous rights, and the global history of primary care, The Power to Harm and Heal reveals the critical roles Indigenous people—as practitioners and patients of western and traditional medicine—played in the creation of, development of, and resistance to the shifting practice of medicine.
Editions of The Power to Harm and Heal
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469692425
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469692432
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469692449
- PDF
- ISBN 9781469692456
Read an Excerpt
In the mid-twentieth century, Mexico became a hub for global experiments in public health and social science. Best known as the birthplace of the Green Revolution, Mexico also pioneered the first large-scale effort to train community health workers to combine western medical practices with Indigenous healing traditions. The Power to Harm and Heal uncovers how that groundbreaking program, led by the state-run Instituto Nacional Indigenista, reshaped health care across rural Mexico.
Drawing on archival sources and oral histories, Joshua Mentanko illuminates the lives and labors of the early intercultural health workers who toiled in this program decades before international health agencies adopted similar models. Mentanko also examines the complex relationships between policymakers, scientists, and the communities they aimed to serve, and how medicine became a tool for both nation-building and cultural negotiation. Further connecting Mexico’s rural health initiatives to shifting global geopolitics, Mentanko elucidates how such initiatives emerged alongside decolonization movements and Third World struggles for economic development. Placing intercultural medicine at the center of debates surrounding modernization, Indigenous rights, and the global history of primary care, The Power to Harm and Heal reveals the critical roles Indigenous people—as practitioners and patients of western and traditional medicine—played in the creation of, development of, and resistance to the shifting practice of medicine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Power to Harm and Heal about?
In the mid-twentieth century, Mexico became a hub for global experiments in public health and social science. Best known as the birthplace of the Green Revolution, Mexico also pioneered the first large-scale effort to train community health workers to combine western medical practices with Indigenous healing traditions. The Power to Harm and Heal uncovers how that groundbreaking program, led by the state-run Instituto Nacional Indigenista, reshaped health care across rural Mexico.
Drawing on archival sources and oral histories, Joshua Mentanko illuminates the lives and labors of the early intercultural health workers who toiled in this program decades before international health agencies adopted similar models. Mentanko also examines the complex relationships between policymakers, scientists, and the communities they aimed to serve, and how medicine became a tool for both nation-building and cultural negotiation. Further connecting Mexico’s rural health initiatives to shifting global geopolitics, Mentanko elucidates how such initiatives emerged alongside decolonization movements and Third World struggles for economic development. Placing intercultural medicine at the center of debates surrounding modernization, Indigenous rights, and the global history of primary care, The Power to Harm and Heal reveals the critical roles Indigenous people—as practitioners and patients of western and traditional medicine—played in the creation of, development of, and resistance to the shifting practice of medicine.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Power to Harm and Heal?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of The Power to Harm and Heal?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469692425
How long is The Power to Harm and Heal and how many pages does it have?
The Power to Harm and Heal has 250 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Power to Harm and Heal?
Joshua Mentanko
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Power to Harm and Heal is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469692425) and paperback(ISBN 9781469692432) and ebook(ISBN 9781469692449) and pdf(ISBN 9781469692456)
Where can I buy The Power to Harm and Heal online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy The Power to Harm and Heal?