Description
Health, Culture and Religion in South Asia brings together top international scholars from a range of social science disciplines to critically explore the interplay of local cultural and religious practices in the delivery and experiences of health in South Asia. This groundbreaking text provides much needed insight into the relationships between health, culture, community, livelihood, and the nation-state, and in particular, the recent struggles of disadvantaged groups to gain access to health care in South Asia.
The book brings together anthropologists, sociologists, economists, health researchers and development specialists to provide the reader with an interdisciplinary approach to the study of South Asian health and a comprehensive understanding of cutting edge research in this area. Addressing key issues affecting a range of geographical areas including India, Nepal and Pakistan, this text will be essential reading for students and researchers interested in Asian Studies and for those interested in gaining a better understanding of health in developing countries.
This book was published as a special issue of South Asian History and Culture.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Social and Cultural Production of Health in South Asia Assa Doron and Alex Broom Section 1: Culture, power and lay medical interface 1: Class and the Clinic: The Subject of Medical Pluralism and the Transmission of Inequality Kalpana Ram 2: Spatial Boundaries and Moralities of Gender: Considerations from Obstetric and Gynaecological Practice in Chennai, South India Victoria Loblay Section 2: Public health and private illness 3: Occupational Health, Risk and Science in India’s Global Factories Jamie Cross 4: Injecting Drug Use and HIV in North-East India: Negotiating a Public Health Response in a Complex Environment Michele Kermode, Peter Deutschmann, M.C. Arunkumar and Greg Manning 5: HIV and the Gurus: Religiosity, Plurality and the Challenge of a ‘Hindu’ Response to AIDS Nalin Mehta and Upahar Pramanik 6: Unmarried Muslim Youth and Sex Education in the bustees of Kolkata Kabita Chakraborty 7: The Intoxicated Poor: Alcohol, Morality and Power and the Boatmen of Banaras Assa Doron Section 3: Traditional healing and local knowledge 8: Between Medicine and Manthravady: Agency and Identity in Paniya Health Sumant Badami 9: Learning from Infertility: Gender, Health Inequities and Faith Healers in Women’s Experiences of Disrupted Reproduction in Rajasthan Maya Unnithan 10: The Practice and Meanings of Spiritual Healing in Nepal Asha Lal Tamang and Alex Broom
