culture Flashcards
What is culture?
- Learned behaviour which has been socially acquired.
- Product of human societies, and man is largely a product of his cultural environment.
Impact of Cultural Factors on Health
- Concept of Etiology and Cure
- Environmental Sanitation
- Food Habits
- Mother and Child Health
- Personal Hygiene
- Marriage and sexuality
A. Supernatural Causes:
> Administration of drug is considered harmful.
> Cases are not notified and pujas are made to please the Gods.
Wrath of God.
A. Supernatural Causes:
> Venereal diseases are believed by some to be due to illicit sexual intercourse with a woman of low caste, or a woman during menstruation.
Breach of Taboo
A. Supernatural Causes:
> Leprosy and tuberculosis
Past sins
A. Supernatural Causes:
> Children are considered to be most prone to the effect of evil eyes.
> Charms and amulets are prescribed and incantations recited by the exorcist.
Evil eye
B. Physical Causes:
> For heat sttroke, application of oil and ghee on the soles of feet and administration of mango-phool with a pinch of salt.
Effects of Weather
A. Supernatural Causes:
> Hysteria and epilepsy are regarded due to spirits or ghost intrusion into the body.
> The services of an exorcist are sought to drive away the evil spirit or ghost.
Spirit or ghost intrusion
B. Physical Causes:
> Impure water is associated with disease.
Water
B. Physical Causes:
> Skin disease (scabies, acne, boil) are considered to be due to impure blood.
> Eating neem leaves and flowers is considered to purify blood.
Impure blood
Environmental Sanitation:
- Open field defecation.
- No idea of latrines among villagers.
- Latrines are meant for city dwellers, where there are no fields for defecation.
- Faeces are infectious, pollutes water and soil and promotes fly breeding.
- Problem of excreta disposal is bound up with numerous beliefs and habits bases on ignorance.
A. Disposal of Human Excreta:
Environmental Sanitation:
- Not aware that mosquitoes breed on collections of waste water.
- The solid waste is invariably thrown in front of the houses where it is permitted to accumulate and decompose.
- The animal dung (cow dung) is allowed to accumulate. It is used sometimes as manure and often times pressed into cakes, sun-dried and used as fuel.
B. Disposal Wastes
Environmental Sanitation:
> Common use for washing, bathing and drinking
Ponds and Tanks
Environmental Sanitation:
> Rural houses are same all over the country
HOUSING
Environmental Sanitation:
> Some rivers are considered ____
“Holy”
Environmental Sanitation:
> Gastroenteritis have occured due to these cultural practices.
Epidemics of cholera
Environmental Sanitation:
> Influenced by local conditions (e.g. soil, climate) religious customs and beliefs
FOOD HABITS
Environmental Sanitation:
> Beef, pork
FOOD TABOOS
Environmental Sanitation:
> Muslims observed ___ during Ramzan and Hindus on several occasions.
FASTING
Environmental Sanitation:
> Married, old, pregnant, widow
LADIES
Environmental Sanitation:
> Are frequently consumed by sadhus
GANJA, BHANG, CHARAS
Environmental Sanitation:
> Tabooed bu Muslims and high caste Hindus
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
Environmental Sanitation:
> Common utensils is conidered as a sign of brotherhood among Muslim
Eating and Drinking
