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CC BY-ND V4.0, Open Access
Thesis
An Anthropological Approach to Health Clinic Design in Rwanda
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
01/2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000005394
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/119284
Abstract
This research creates a model for designing a health clinic that acknowledges how PTSD affects the mind and body and creates a safe place for people to seek treatment. The main goal is to create a broad framework that acknowledges culture, history, and medical anthropology to create a health setting that supports an at-risk population. In the case of the genocide survivors, this includes bringing back traditional health practices paired with biomedicine in a clinic that is designed around the concept of flow and accessibility. Using this framework, three case studies are analyzed each chosen to show different aspects of healthcare; one focuses on the community, one has a focus on healthcare delivery, and one has a focus on designing with trauma in mind. In 1994, hundreds of thousands of Rwandan Tutsi were brutally murdered in what is known as the “Rwandan Genocide.” In about 100 days, 800,000 people were killed, and the survivors have struggled to reestablish their history, culture, their communities, and their health.
This research creates a model for designing a health clinic that acknowledges how PTSD affects the mind and body and creates a safe place for people to seek treatment. The main goal is to create a broad framework that acknowledges culture, history, and medical anthropology to create a health setting that supports an at-risk population. In the case of the genocide survivors, this includes bringing back traditional health practices paired with biomedicine in a clinic that is designed around the concept of flow and accessibility. Using this framework, three case studies are analyzed each chosen to show different aspects of healthcare; one focuses on the community, one has a focus on healthcare delivery, and one has a focus on designing with trauma in mind.
In 1994, hundreds of thousands of Rwandan Tutsi were brutally murdered in what is known as the “Rwandan Genocide.” In about 100 days, 800,000 people were killed, and the survivors have struggled to reestablish their history, culture, their communities, and their health.
This study reviews literature to develop an understanding of the Tutsi population and the impact of the Rwandan genocide. This information is assessed within two theoretical frameworks to determine how the program and design of medical clinics can best respond to the specific needs of this population.
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Details
- Title
- An Anthropological Approach to Health Clinic Design in Rwanda
- Creators
- Hannah Thayer
- Contributors
- Judith Theodorson (Advisor)Minyoung Cerruti (Committee Member)Ryan Smith (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- School of Design and Construction
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 73
- Identifiers
- 99900592154601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis