«consonancia cultural»: Una teoría y un método para el estudio de la cultura y la salud

Abstract

Both as a theoretical concept and a method for the study of culture, 'cultural consonance' is wellestablished in the cognitive anthropological literature of the United States. It is also well represented in Latin American literature, but generally not in European anthropology. To date, cultural consonance has mainly been used in research into the relationship between culture and health, but it is perfectly applicable to other cultural domains. The theoretical source of this concept is the theory of cultural consensus and it seeks to resolve, in an operational manner, some of the classic dilemmas of the concept of culture. This paper seeks to demonstrate its theoretical and methodological utility and to present its current state of development in medical anthropological investigations into the relationship between culture and health. In short, we seek to highlight and disseminate the potential of 'cultural consonance' for the study of culture, both within the area of medical anthropology and beyond.