Change and Continuity in the Medical Culture of the Hmong in Kansas City
Author(s):
Capps, Lisa L.
Format:
Journal article
Citation:
Medical Anthropology Quarterly, Volume 8, Issue 2 (1994-06). pp. 161-177.
Language:
English
Abstract:
Describes the radical culture change experienced by the Hmong in the US through their recent experiences of the war in Laos, refugee resettlement, & Christian conversion. Then, the influence of these changes on the health ideas & practices in the Hmong community of Kansas City, M0, is examined, drawing on 1989 interview data & participant observation. Although shamanism & ancestor worship have been abandoned, attenuated concepts of spirit illness & soul loss persist, notably fright illness. The Hmongs' eclectic set of ideas & practices concerning health is derived from several systems, including Chinese medicine, Protestant Christianity, & biomedicine. This variety is explained by Murray Last's concept of medical culture (see SA 31:4/83N3508), showing how the Hmong have created a unique medical culture through their incorporation of new therapies as well as the use of traditional methods of healing. 57 References. Adapted from the source document.