Vasundhra - Author at Anthroholic - Anthropologist

Vasundhra

Vasundhra began her journey as an anthropologist in India, drawn to people, their stories, traditions, and ancestry. Her work has taken her from tribal villages and nomadic landscapes to advanced laboratories studying the human past, where she witnessed how deeply culture, environment, and policy shape health outcomes. Her fieldwork with pastoral nomads in Leh-Ladakh revealed how climate change quietly erodes livelihoods and health security, while her research at BITS Pilani during the COVID-19 pandemic explored the psychosocial dimensions of resilience and well-being. These experiences shaped her conviction that health is inseparable from its social and cultural context. Transitioning into policy research, she worked on a project on affordable generic medicines in Karnataka, collaborating with doctors, entrepreneurs, and communities to evaluate India’s largest public health initiative. This experience underscored for her the systemic barriers to healthcare access and the need for policies informed by lived realities. Now pursuing a Master’s in Global Health at the University of Geneva, Switzerland and complementing it with courses in environmental economics and food sustainability at the Graduate Institute, Vasundhra continues to bridge anthropology and policy. Her work reflects a commitment to advancing health equity by addressing the social, cultural, and structural determinants that shape human well-being.
  • Articles: 282
Adaptation is a core concept in anthropology and biology, reflecting how organisms and societies change over time to better fit their environments. This process occurs through three main pathways: physiological adaptation, genetic adaptation, and behavioral or cultural adaptation. Understanding these pathways provides critical insights into human evolution, culture, and survival.

Adaptation

Adaptation is a core concept in anthropology and biology, reflecting how organisms and societies change over time to better fit their environments. This process occurs through three main pathways: physiological adaptation, genetic adaptation, and behavioral or cultural adaptation. Understanding these pathways provides critical insights into human evolution, culture, and survival.

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an obsessive fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body image. This condition can lead to severe physical and emotional complications.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an obsessive fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body image. This condition can lead to severe physical and emotional complications.

Lifestyle diseases, also known as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), are primarily caused by daily habits and practices that lead to health complications. Anthropologists explore the lifestyle diseases by focussing on the cultural, social, and economic factors contributing to their prevalence.

Lifestyle Diseases

Lifestyle diseases, also known as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), are primarily caused by daily habits and practices that lead to health complications. Anthropologists explore the lifestyle diseases by focussing on the cultural, social, and economic factors contributing to their prevalence.

The term "Diseases of Development" refers to health conditions that arise from the complex interplay of developmental factors such as urbanization, industrialization, and modernization. These diseases pose serious challenges to public health, especially in developing nations, where the rapid pace of development and the lack of infrastructure can create unique health crises.

Diseases of Development

The term "Diseases of Development" refers to health conditions that arise from the complex interplay of developmental factors such as urbanization, industrialization, and modernization. These diseases pose serious challenges to public health, especially in developing nations, where the rapid pace of development and the lack of infrastructure can create unique health crises.

The five specialized areas of Medical Anthropology, Critical Medical Anthropology, Clinical Medical Anthropology, Gerontology, Cultural Psychiatry, and Nutritional Anthropology, demonstrate the diversity and richness of this field.

Specialised Areas of Medical Anthropology

The five specialized areas of Medical Anthropology, Critical Medical Anthropology, Clinical Medical Anthropology, Gerontology, Cultural Psychiatry, and Nutritional Anthropology, demonstrate the diversity and richness of this field.

Traditional Medicine (TM) represents an assortment of practices, approaches, and therapies used in various cultures to maintain well-being and treat ailments. Encompassing herbal medicine, acupuncture, rituals, and more, TM is deeply rooted in indigenous knowledge and cultural traditions.

Traditional Medicine

Traditional Medicine (TM) represents an assortment of practices, approaches, and therapies used in various cultures to maintain well-being and treat ailments. Encompassing herbal medicine, acupuncture, rituals, and more, TM is deeply rooted in indigenous knowledge and cultural traditions.

Illness is not merely a medical or biological phenomenon; it is a complex, multifaceted concept that resonates deeply within human life, reflecting our vulnerabilities, strengths, beliefs, and traditions.

Concept of Illness

Illness is not merely a medical or biological phenomenon; it is a complex, multifaceted concept that resonates deeply within human life, reflecting our vulnerabilities, strengths, beliefs, and traditions.

The Civilizational School of Thought in anthropology offers an expansive view of cultures and societies by studying them in the context of their broader civilization. Unlike conventional approaches that may focus on specific communities or tribes, this school of thought emphasizes the shared attributes and interconnectedness of societies within a civilization.

Civilizational School of Thought

The Civilizational School of Thought in anthropology offers an expansive view of cultures and societies by studying them in the context of their broader civilization. Unlike conventional approaches that may focus on specific communities or tribes, this school of thought emphasizes

Pastoralism, a subsistence pattern practiced by approximately 200 million people worldwide, has etched an indelible mark on human history. Predominantly occurring in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world such as the African Sahel and Central Asia, it hinges upon the domestication of animals and their products for livelihood.

Pastoralism

Pastoralism, a subsistence pattern practiced by approximately 200 million people worldwide, has etched an indelible mark on human history. Predominantly occurring in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world such as the African Sahel and Central Asia, it hinges upon the domestication of animals and their products for livelihood.

The barter system represents one of the earliest forms of economic exchange, providing valuable insights into the social and economic structures of early human societies. Before the advent of monetary systems, bartering — the direct exchange of goods or services without the use of currency — was the norm.

Barter System

The barter system represents one of the earliest forms of economic exchange, providing valuable insights into the social and economic structures of early human societies. Before the advent of monetary systems, bartering — the direct exchange of goods or services without the use of currency — was the norm.

These various kinship behaviors—joking relations, avunculate, amitate, couvade, and teknonymy—demonstrate how societies worldwide employ different mechanisms to regulate social behavior, build familial ties, and maintain cultural continuity.

Kinship Behaviours

These various kinship behaviors—joking relations, avunculate, amitate, couvade, and teknonymy—demonstrate how societies worldwide employ different mechanisms to regulate social behavior, build familial ties, and maintain cultural continuity.

This term 'degrees of kinship' refers to the proximity of a genetic, adoptive, or marital relationship between individuals, creating a web of familial ties that shape our societies and identities. Degrees of kinship is a system anthropologists use to describe and classify the types of relationships that exist between family members in various cultures.

Degrees of Kinship

This term 'degrees of kinship' refers to the proximity of a genetic, adoptive, or marital relationship between individuals, creating a web of familial ties that shape our societies and identities. Degrees of kinship is a system anthropologists use to describe and classify the types of relationships that exist between family members in various cultures.