About Us
Welcome, My name is Eric J. Bailey. As founder, co-director, researcher, and food literacy graduate*, we are establishing a new way for us in looking at ourselves, a new way in selecting healthier foods, a new way in preparing our foods, and a new way of exercising and achieving physical fitness all within our cultural health belief value system.
I am also a Medical Anthropologist. You are probably thinking, "What is a Medical Anthropologist?" A Medical Anthropologist is a person who investigates health, illness, diseases, and health care systems from a holistic and comprehensive perspective and attempts to understand these issues from the community's or individual's perspective. In general, the individual's community perspective is the key for understanding, working with, and developing any cultural intervention.
Eric's Professional Career
Eric J. Bailey, Ph.D., M.P.H. is a medical anthropologist, author and Professor at East Carolina University in the Departments of Anthropology and Family Medicine. At East Carolina University, Dr. Bailey teaches undergraduate courses in the Anthropology Department and graduate courses in the Masters of Public Health Program. Currently, Dr. Bailey teaches courses such as Cultural Anthropology, African American Health, Medical Anthropology, Medical Anthropology and Public Health: A Global Perspective, and Ethnic Health & Health Disparities.
Before his arrival at East Carolina University, Dr. Bailey was a Program Director for the Masters of Public Health Program in Urban Public Health at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. Dr. Bailey developed and organized the new Masters of Public Health Program at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.
Before his arrival at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Dr. Bailey was Health Scientist Administrator/Program Director at the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIH). He administered, organized and coordinated the major Minority-Serving Institution Annual and Performance Reports to the White House for the Center. Before his arrival at the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Dr. Bailey was a Program Director for the Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch at the National Cancer Institute, NIH.
Before his arrival at NIH, Dr. Bailey spent one year as a Senior Research Associate at the Arkansas Cancer Research Center (ACRC) of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He provided his expertise on several grant projects addressing the multicultural and multiethnic cancer outreach initiatives in the state of Arkansas.
Dr. Bailey was also an Associate (tenured) and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University, Indianapolis for nine years and an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Houston for two years. Dr. Bailey received his doctorate in anthropology from Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) and masters in public health from Emory University. Dr. Bailey also received degrees (B.A. and M.A.) in anthropology from Miami University (Oxford, OH). In addition to Dr. Bailey’s experience in public health and as a medical anthropologist, Dr. Bailey completed post-doctoral work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where he worked in the Tuberculosis Division and the Associate Director’s Office for Minority Health (1993-1995).
Dr. Bailey has broad-based research experience in several chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, prenatal care, cancer, alternative medicine, HIV/AIDS and has published research findings in scholarly journals and lectured for the past 25 years on issues related to medical anthropology, multicultural and multiethnic health care utilization, alternative medicine, and community health and cross cultural health programs. Dr. Bailey's new book is entitled, “Black America, Body Beautiful: How the African American Image is Changing Fashion, Fitness and other Industries” . Dr. Bailey' s previous academic book, “Food Choice and Obesity in Black America: Creating a New Cultural Diet” has paved new ground of awareness and action for African Americans and others who want to do something practical and cultural with their eating pattern, exercise regimen and overall lifestyle. Dr. Bailey’s third book entitled, "African American Alternative Medicine: Using Alternative Medicine to Prevent and Control Chronic Diseases” (Greenwood Publishing – August 30, 2002) rediscovers the unique preventing and healing qualities of African American alternative medicine. Dr. Bailey's previous book (2000 hardcover, 2002 paperback), "Medical Anthropology and African American Health” examines data on mortality, census, preventive health, alternative medical practices, clinical research, and intervention from a comprehensive perspective. His new approach emphasized culture and cultural relativism as they both related to African American health care issues. Similarly, Dr. Bailey's first book entitled, "Urban African American Health Care" (1991) suggests that research on the relationship between cultural health beliefs and health seeking may assist in explaining the patterns of health care for some populations.
Eric's Blogs
If you would like to know more about what this medical anthropologist is up to, check out my blog at: http://ericjbailey.blogspot.com
If you would like to know more about our latest thoughts, issues and events and also want to share your thoughts and suggestions, check out our blog at: http://newblackculturaldiet.blogspot.com
Gloria's Professional Career
Welcome again. My name is Gloria J. Bailey (AKA Mrs. B). . As co-director, artist, experienced healthy food advocate, writer and community activist, I am joining my husband's efforts in establishing a new way for us in looking at ourselves, a new way in selecting healthier foods, a new way in preparing our foods, and a new way of exercising and achieving physical fitness all within our cultural health belief value system. Gloria has a B.F.A (Bachelors in Fine Arts) from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Her work experience includes working as an Interior Design Practitioner in the Commercial Furniture Design Industry, an Internship at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History (Washington, DC), Art Administrator, and Outreach Coordinator.
Gloria's Blog
Review my individual Weight Loss journey at: Mrs. B. Motivational Journey blog
Mission
To establish a new way for us to view our body images and body types, a new way in selecting healthier foods, a new way in preparing our foods, and a new way of exercising and achieving physical fitness all within our cultural health belief value system.
Vision
For all people of the world to live healthier, quality and longer lives.
Culture
Culture is defined as a system of shared beliefs, values, traditions and behaviors which are transmitted from generation to generation through learning.
Attributes of Culture
The Relationship between Culture and Dietary Pattern
Ask yourself the following questions:
African American Cultural Health Belief Value System
As a researcher of African American health care issues for the past 25 years, here are some of the most frequently indentified cultural health values and patterns associated with African Americans:
(Bailey 2006, 2002 and 2000)
References:
Bailey, Eric. 2006. Food Choice and Obesity in Black America: Creating a New Cultural Diet. Westport, CT: Praeger
Publishers.
Bailey, Eric. 2002. African American Alternative Medicine: Using Alternative Medicine to Prevent and Control Chronic
Diseases. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.
Bailey, Eric. 2000. Medical Anthropology and African American Health. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.
Favorite Links for the New Black Cultural Diet Team