world view (redirected from Weltanshauung)

world view [werld vu]

the perspective a culture takes of the world, which is shared by cultural group members. Though not always overtly recognized, world views influence health and illness beliefs and behavior; for example, a world view of harmony and balance shapes a view of health as a balance of natural forces, a world view that is largely technological leads to a view of illness analogous to the breakdown of a machine, and a world view focusing on fear and violence shapes a perception of illness as the result of evil forces.