When Disease Becomes the Metonym for Social Inequalities. Local Connotations and Institutional Management of Diabetes

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is the observation of social dynamics and government policies related to the interpretation and management of diabetes in the rural district of Naupan, located in the northeast of the Sierra de Puebla, Mexico. Based on the analysis of the relationship established between national healthcare institutions and the local population, the study will show, through a local etiologic connotations and understanding, how the nosological category of diabetes may be viewed based on to social conflicts, hierarchies, and inequalities within the community.