What could ′integrative′ medicine mean? Social science perspectives on contemporary Ayurveda

Abstract

The paper attempts to critically engage with the idea of integrative medicine as a marker of pharmaceuticalization of Ayurveda in the recent decades. It examines what it means to say ′integrative′ medicine using the metaphor of language from philosophy of science. Drawing upon fieldwork with Ayurveda practitioners, the paper also discusses the ramifications of integrative medicine in the current scenario in which there is no organizational parity between Ayurveda and biomedicine. The paper calls for a focus on Ayurveda for public health rather than the global health market.

Keywords

• Ayurveda
• Asian medicine
• integrative medicine
• medical pluralism