Folk Healing and Health Care Practices in Britain and Ireland: Stethoscopes, Wands, and CrystalsRonald George Moore, Stuart McClean Folk, alternative and complementary health care practices in contemporary Western society are currently experiencing a renaissance, albeit with features that are unique to this historical moment. At the same time biomedicine is under scrutiny, experiencing a number of distinct and multifaceted crises. In this volume the authors draw together cutting edge cross-cultural, interdisciplinary research in Britain and Ireland, focusing on exploring the role and significance of healing practices in diverse local contexts, such as the use of crystals, herbs, cures and charms, potions and lotions. Ronnie Moore currently Lectures in Medical Anthropology and Sociology in the Departments of Sociology and Public Health Medicine and Epidemiology at University College Dublin. Ronnie's research interests include health disparities; health, conflict and ethnic identity; and conflict theory. Stuart McClean is a Senior Lecturer at the University of the West of England, Bristol. Stuart's research interests include the resurgence of alternative medicine and healing practices in Western societies, the role of creative arts in health, and the global dimensions surrounding health. |
Contents
Folk Healing and a Postscientific World | 22 |
The Medical Marketplace and Medical Tradition | 55 |
The Use | 80 |
The Cure | 104 |
Ethnoknowledge and | 130 |
Biomedicines as Ethnomedicines | 181 |
Born To It and Then Pushed Out of | 201 |
Why Chicken Soup | 226 |
Towards Authentic Medicine Bodies | 254 |
Notes on Contributors | 273 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Alternative Medicine Anthropology apothecaries argued asylum seekers Ballymacross biomedical biomedicine body Britain CAM practitioners CAM therapies chakra chapter chicken soup complementary and alternative Complementary Medicine contemporary context crystal and spiritual crystal healing cultural cure cure/charm described developed discussion disease dispensary doctors efficacy emphasised example folk healers folk healing folk medicine Folklore formal medicine healers healing practices Health and Illness health beliefs herbal medicine herbalists History House of Lords Hufford Hunterstown ibid identity important indigenous individuals Irish Journal knowledge literature London magic McClean Medical Herbalists medical pluralism medical profession modern National nineteenth century Northern Ireland organised Oxford patients person physicians professional professionalisation recognised refers refugees and asylum regulation regulatory religion religious role Ronnie Moore Routledge rural scientific social Sociology spiritual healing statutory sufferers suggests Teresa treatment University College Dublin University Press Western societies wool measuring