关于医学社会史的理论思考

Theoretical Considerations about the Social History of Medicine

医学社会史是从社会史的角度,运用多学科的研究方法,通过对历史上人们医药活动的考察来认识社会(文化)的形态及其变迁的历史学分支学科;其研究对象包括历史上人们医药活动的共时性结构和历时性变迁;其研究方法要求做到传统史学方法现代化,西方史学方法本土化以及其他学科方法史学化;从学科价值上看,医学社会史的研究不仅可以丰富社会史的内涵,而且可以促使史学工作者重新审视历史学的对象和价值。

The author holds the belief that social history of medicine is a branch of history which applies cross-discipline researching methods to the studies of human medical activities ever since, hence, it recognizes the social structure and its vicissitudes. From the angle of social history, this subject probes the medical activities from the prehistoric period till the present time. Its researching targets encompass the co-existing structures and changes in medical activities for all different periods of history. As for researching approaches, the combination of traditional means＇ modernization and western ways＇ civilization are required. Considering its subject values, not only can this research enrich the connotation of social history, but stimulate the historians to reconsider the targets and significance of history.