Cultural Creatives and Alternative Health Therapies

Dr. Cleveland: In the conclusion of your study, you indicate that alternative medicine users are more educated, that the majority are not dissatisfied with conventional medicine, and that they are choosing this approach, "... largely because they find these health care alternatives to be more congruent with their own values, beliefs, and philosophical orientations toward health and life." How do you describe that philosophical orientation?      

Dr. Astin: It centers around two areas. First, there is a strong association between what I refer to as a holistic orientation (a belief in the importance of body, mind and spirit in health) and use of alternative medicine. This is not surprising given the more holistic philosophies underlying many of the alternative therapies. Second, significantly greater use of alternative medicine was observed in a segment or subculture of the population characterized by the following values: a commitment to environmentalism, feminism, interest in personal growth psychology and esoteric spiritual pursuits, and an openness to things foreign and exotic. Among these individuals, a group sociologist Paul Ray refers to in his research as the "cultural creatives," 55% used alternative health care.      

Excerpt from an interview between Stanford researcher Dr. John Astin, Ph.D. and Dr. Carl Cleveland, D.C.