Traditional healing in the Hmong refugee community of the California Central Valley
Author(s):
Ensign, John Stewart
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Ph.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : California School of Professional Psychology - Fresno, 1994.
Pages:
365
Language:
English
Abstract:
The study explored traditional healing within the large refugee Hmong community in the Fresno area. The Laotian Hmong, a migratory hill people, cooperated with the United States during the Indochinese War and were forced to flee their homeland due to severe reprisals following communist victory. According to previous research, Hmong refugees in the United States manifest extreme difficulty in acculturation and high levels of psychopathology (Moore-Howard, 1987; Westermeyer, 1988b), while demonstrating low utilization of mental health services and poor response to Western psychological treatment (Kirton, 1985; Schultz, 1982). In an effort to better understand the needs of the population, the researcher documented cultural perspectives on illness and methods of treatment utilized by traditional healers. Using an ethnographic approach, data were gathered from 9 Hmong shamans. In addition to structured interviews, data sources involved observation of healing ceremonies and informal contacts with shamans and key informants. Results included both descriptive information and qualitative analysis utilizing a grounded theory methodology. The background, training, and interactional styles of shamans were discussed, as well as cultural explanations of illness and the sequence of traditional treatment. Healing rituals and shamanic implements were described in detail. Findings emphasized cultural beliefs regarding spiritual causation of illness and curative factors associated with the shaman's complex relationship with the invisible world. Results suggested that within the Hmong cultural paradigm, shamans' meaningful suffering and selection by spirits allow them to mediate hostile aspects of the spiritual world. Primary healing interventions identified during the study included progressive development of highly specific explanations of illness, which were addressed through ritual manipulation of culturally meaningful symbols. Social aspects of healing appeared to play an important part in the curative process. These included involvement of the larger community in spirit rites through the use of ritual objects and actions and reintegration of patients into the cultural framework through ritual feasting and drinking. In the final chapter, findings were related to the Western psychological framework and suggestions were advanced for Western clinicians working with Hmong clients.