Neither scientifically recognized nor taught in the training of health professionals, so-called “alternative” or “soft” medicines are thriving. Thus, a Cluster 17 poll for Le Point shows that 44% of French people questioned have already used naturopathy (“therapy with natural remedies”) to prevent or cure illnesses. In all, 4% of French people – this is not insignificant – treat themselves “mainly thanks to naturopathy” and a quarter consider this practice “as much or more effective than conventional medicine”.
Politically, it is Emmanuel Macron’s voters who appear the most skeptical about naturopathy, since “only” 30% of his voters say they have used it… compared to 66% of Yannick Jadot’s voters. If it is difficult to draw a typical portrait of the person having recourse to so-called alternative medicine, it can be noted that a large part of the French have no opinion on the effectiveness of these practices. However, we note that women have more recourse than men to naturopathy, 51% have already had recourse to it against 36% of men.
The political polarization is less marked on homeopathy (of which no study has firmly demonstrated its effectiveness). 76% of respondents say they have used it before. In detail, 80% of Marine Le Pen voters, against only 67% of Valérie Pécresse voters (the lowest proportion, all electorates combined).
A positive – and reassuring – point of this study, it appears that the French still have a great deal of confidence in conventional medicine and science: thus 82% of respondents have a good opinion of vaccination in general and 84% consider themselves to be well regarded. by their doctor.
Cluster 17 also asked the French people about their relationship to the vaccine: 82% of respondents say they have a positive opinion, however this proportion also varies according to the political opinions of the respondents. Thus, 96% of Emmanuel Macron’s voters say they are confident about vaccination, compared to only 65% ??of Marine Le Pen’s voters. The emergence of anti-vaccination movements during the Covid crisis has strengthened their presence in the medical field, surfing on the mistrust generated against public policies and scientific discourse. Thus the antivax are recruited first among the voters of Marine Le Pen and people with a low level of diploma. We find the same associations between conspiracy movements, anti-vaccination and populist voting, demonstrated in the Point surveys on critical discourse on conventional medicine.
But it’s not just politics in life. The relationship to alternative medicine seems in fact to be determined more by the relationship that individuals have with medicine and science than their political opinions or their social status. Thus, alternative medicine seems to constitute a substitute or a refuge for certain conspirators who no longer trust the discourse of health experts or public authorities.
On this subject, as on others, there is an opposition between a majority of French people who remain Cartesian and confident in the speeches of experts, and a minority located on the margins of the political spectrum and developing a protest and anti- scientist. As for the couple, or food consumption, medicine does not escape the polarization of public opinion. Even in the land of Descartes and Pasteur, alternative medicines and beliefs have taken root.
*Guillaume Thomas is a doctor and teacher-researcher in social sciences
