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Social Science & Medicine

ISSN 1873-5347, 0277-9536

28 papers in the library · 504 citations · publishing 1984-2026

Papers

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Healing and morality: a Javanese example.

Social Science & Medicine 1985 M R Woodward 29 citations

Javanese traditional medicine is based on Sufi Muslim notions of personhood, knowledge and magical power. This world view motivates two conflicting modalities of medical practice: one based on the magic powers of curers (dukun), the others on the religiously validated powers of Sufi saints. The association of magical and bio-medical knowledge allows Javanese to interpret traditional and...

Sanctified madness: the God-intoxicated saints of Bengal.

Social Science & Medicine 1985 A Morinis

The saintly madman is a familiar character in South Asia. To outer appearances he is no different from a lunatic, but the mad saint comes to be revered because his idiocy is popularly believed to arise from a different cause than ordinary madness. The common psychopath neglects social conventions because his consciousness is dimmed by incapacity; the saintly madman also breaches convention, but...

Malay midwives and witches.

Social Science & Medicine 1984 W J Karim 13 citations

This paper attempts to analyse professional rivalry and dissonance amongst traditional Malay midwives (bidan kampung) in the Northwest areas of Peninsular Malaysia. It elucidates how techniques of symbolic and ritual communication are carefully monitored by these female specialists, to develop regular clientele and professional credibility over time. However, since an integral element of Malay...