Medical Pluralism: Shifts in Traditional Knowledge and Practices Among Sobadores
Additional Funding Sources
This project is supported by a 2019-2020 STEM Undergraduate Research Grant from the Higher Education Research Council.
Abstract
Western medical systems often fail to recognize and treat culture-bound symptoms within Latinx communities; therefore an extensive network of traditional healers including sobadores (musculoskeletal healers) persist within these communities to address the needs of cultural healing (Quandt et al 2017). This study begins to explore knowledge practices and possible shifts in traditional healing described by two sobadoras in Southern Idaho during field research between December 2019 and January 2020. Understanding shifts in sobadas over time especially from an emic perspective of the healers is imperative information to preserve traditional healing systems especially for marginalized populations that rely heavily on these systems.
Medical Pluralism: Shifts in Traditional Knowledge and Practices Among Sobadores
Western medical systems often fail to recognize and treat culture-bound symptoms within Latinx communities; therefore an extensive network of traditional healers including sobadores (musculoskeletal healers) persist within these communities to address the needs of cultural healing (Quandt et al 2017). This study begins to explore knowledge practices and possible shifts in traditional healing described by two sobadoras in Southern Idaho during field research between December 2019 and January 2020. Understanding shifts in sobadas over time especially from an emic perspective of the healers is imperative information to preserve traditional healing systems especially for marginalized populations that rely heavily on these systems.