Use of medicinal plants by black women: ethnography study in a low-income community

Objective To explore beliefs, values and practices related to the use of medicinal plants among low-income black families. Method The research method was ethnography and the participant observation process was done in a low-income community in the peripheral area of the City of São Paulo. Twenty black women were interviewed. Results Two cultural sub-themes, I do use medicines that I learned to make with my mother and with religious practitioners to care for diseases and Home medicines are to treat problems that are not serious, and the cultural theme I do use home medicines to treat simple diseases because I always have them at my disposal, they are free and I don’t need a medical prescription represent beliefs, values, and practices related to the use of medicinal plants among low-income black families. Conclusion The development of such practices, which can hide ethnic and social vulnerability, reveals the resilience of low-income black women in the process of confronting problems during the health-illness process.

Factors influencing Intensive Care Units nurses in end-of-life decisions

OBJECTIVETo identify the factors that influence the Intensive Care Unit nurse in the decision-making process in end-of-life situations.METHODEthnographic case study, which used the theoretical framework of medical anthropology. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 nurses.RESULTSThe inductive thematic analysis enabled us to identify four themes:The cultural context of the Intensive Care Unit: decision-making in situations of end-of-life; Beliefs and subjectivity of care in end-of-life situations; Professional experience and context characteristics of end-of-life care situations; and Humanization practices in end-of-life situations: the patient and family centered care.CONCLUSIONProfessional maturity, the ability to transmit information and the ability to negotiate are directly related to the inclusion of nurses in the decision-making process.

Turismo em Cabo Verde:um estudo exploratório

Esta dissertação é um trabalho exploratório sobre o turismo em Cabo Verde. Partindo de um esquema teórico herdeiro fundamentalmente da Sociologia e Antropologia do turismo, começaremos por discutir alguns dos seus temas centrais para o nosso objecto de estudo. O turismo em Cabo Verde é assumido como o eixo central do desenvolvimento do país e a indústria turística cabo-verdiana encontra-se em franca expansão. Através de uma caracterização do fenómeno turístico em Cabo Verde, desde o seu florescimento até aos dias de hoje, pretendemos dar conta da evolução do sector e das recentes reconfigurações no panorama turístico cabo-verdiano que se espelham nos discursos narrativos e visuais presentes na promoção turística deste destino. Com base numa análise do discurso promocional, procuramos desvendar a forma como este arquipélago é descrito enquanto destino turístico, revelando a diversidade de elementos presentes na imagem turística contemporânea de Cabo Verde.

The impact of Economics on health policy and management in Spain

BackgroundDespite the intrinsic value of scientific disciplines, such as Economics, it is appropriate to gauge the impact of its applications on social welfare, or at least Health Economics (HE) case- its influence on health policy and management.MethodsThe three relevant features of knowledge (production, diffusion and application) are analyzed, more from an emic perspective the one used in Anthropology relying on the experience of the members of a culture- than from an etic approach seated on material descriptions and dubious statistics.ResultsThe soundness of the principles and results of HE depends on its disciplinary foundations,whereas its relevance than does not imply translation into practice- is more linked with the problems studied. Important contributions from Economics to the health sphere are recorded.HE in Spain ranks seventh in the world despite the relatively minor HE contents of its clinical and health services research journals.HE has in Spain more presence than influence, having failed to impregnate sufficiently thedaily events.ConclusionsHE knowledge required by a politician, a health manager or a clinician is rather limited; the main impact of HE could be to develop their intuition and awareness.

Infancy Gospels. Stories and Identities

Even though the canonical Jesus' infancy stories have always provoked great interest in popular culture and in the arts, they have been neglected in research during the last decades due to the relatively late date of their redaction. Since the monograph by Raymond Brown, The Birth of the Messiah , the researchers working on this topic have not attempted to consider its historical impact. In this volume, an international team of scholars proposes firstly a reconsideration of the historical background of these stories in terms of early Jewish and Christian identity quests. Secondly, they deal with early Christian questions on Jesus' infancy and childhood through canonical and apocryphal Gospels including information from Patristic and documentary literature. On the theological level, this volume illustrates the impact that these apocryphal texts, recognized as "useful for the soul" (a phrase coined by François Bovon), have had on the Christian faith.

Teologis-filosofista aatehistoriaa uusissa väitöskirjoissa

Simo Knuuttila

Per una comprensió històrica de les activitats aquàtiques : una mirada educativa

Una atenta observació de les activitats aquàtiques de caire educatiu mostra que aquestes pràctiques es fonamenten, principalment, en constructes que no són propis de la pedagogia, ans provenen de l’antropologia i/o de les cultures establertes a l’entorn de l’aigua. Així, el present article es pregunta pels sentits que acompanyen aquests imaginaris que sorgeixen de la relació que s’estableix entre l’home i el medi aquàtic. Per a fer-ho, s’utilitza el recurs hermenèutic de comprendre quines han estat les pràctiques aquàtiques que han anat sorgint al llarg de la història, ja que la idea principal del treball sosté que l’activitat educativa en el medi aquàtic s’ha construït a partir dels imaginaris culturals, sorgits de les mateixes pràctiques aquàtiques que l’han precedit.

La familia entre la antropología y la historia

En este artículo el autor examina las limitaciones conceptuales del estudio de la familia y el parentesco que normalmente han sostenido los historiadores y los antropólogos. La mayoría de los supuestos de los dos tipos de estudios se pueden encontrar en los prejuicios culturales que pueden cuestionar el objeto comparativo de estas teorías. Revisando los problemas surgidos en los análisis de los grupos domésticos y los culturales de parentesco, el autor intenta mostrar que el estudio de familia debería abandonar el espacio del parentesco y analizar el problema de la reproducción social.

Conversant amb Ignasi Terradas i Saborit. Antropologia, universitat i societat: la necessitat d'una lectura crítica de l'actualitat

A través d'aquesta entrevista, Ignasi Terradas i Saborit, catedràtic d'antropologia social de la Universitat de Barcelona, ens transmet la seva visió sobre la nostre disciplina, ens explica per què creu que actualment ja no la defineix el famós mètode del treball de camp i per què en canvi s'ha de definir pels seus objectius i continguts, si volem que conservi la seva capacitat crítica. Ens parla també del realisme etnogràfic com a la forma més fiable d¿encarar la comparació intercultural i intersocietal i el coneixement antropològic en general i de l¿àmbit de l'antropologia jurídica, al qual s¿ha dedicat en els darrers anys. Tot en el marc d'una reflexió crítica d'ampli abast sobre la seva pròpia trajectòria acadèmica, sobre la situació actual de la universitat, sotmesa a importants reformes, i sobre el que creu que ha de ser el compromís èticosocial del professor-investigador. Veurem com hi té un paper important la resistència davant el que anomena liberalisme vulgar o groller.

La tecnología en el cuerpo: Biomecánica de los quilombolas en dos selvas brasileñas

Vull plantejar la possibilitat d'una lectura tecnològica dels usos del cos a dues selves brasileres. L'objectiu és discutir tres tòpics: 1) la tecnologia és una conseqüència directa de la ciència, 2) la tecnologia és indissociable de l'artefacte, 3) la tecnologia és el que ens separa de la natura. Enfront d'això construiré altres tres tòpics: 1) la ciència és conseqüència de la tecnologia, 2) la tecnologia és anterior a l'artefacte, 3) la tecnologia és el que ens enfonsa a la natura.