Culture, Health and Development in South Asia

Culture, Health and Development in South Asia

Author: M. Saiful Islam

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-04-14

Total Pages: 166

ISBN-13: 1317226003

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Recently, mass arsenic poisoning of groundwater has emerged as a disastrous public health concern in Bangladesh. Apart from hundreds of deaths that have already been reported, 85 million people are estimated to be at high risk of developing deadly arsenicosis symptoms. The severity and extent of arsenicosis have obliged the government of Bangladesh to declare it the "worst national disaster" the country has ever faced, and further to be deemed a "state of emergency." To fight this pervasive public health disaster, the Bangladesh government has collaborated with the international and national NGOs to implement development projects to provide arsenic-free water to rural villagers. Drawing upon ethnographic research in rural Southwestern Bangladesh, this book discusses arsenic contamination and its resultant health impact from a medical anthropological and anthropology of development perspectives. It examines how the actual patients perceive, explain, manage and respond to this catastrophic public health outbreak, and goes on to analyse how such lay perceptions shape health-seeking behaviour of subjects in a medically plural context. To make the issue more holistic, this book further examines mitigation strategies and community participation in these projects. Challenging approaches to development and development project management, the book is of interest to policy makers, practitioners and academics working in the field of development studies, South Asian studies, medical anthropology, anthropology and sociology of development.


Socio-Cultural Insights of Childbirth in South Asia

Socio-Cultural Insights of Childbirth in South Asia

Author: Sabitra Kaphle

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-07-29

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1000417018

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This book analyses the significant socio-cultural factors impacting childbirth experiences of women living in remote and complex social settings. This book challenges the notion that childbirth is a universal biological event which women experience in their reproductive lives and provides an in-depth social perspective of understanding childbirth. Drawing on evocative stories of women living in the Himalayas, the author discusses how childbirth should be supported to enable women to take control and ownership of their experiences. Based on extensive research undertaken in remote mountain regions of Nepal, the book provides evidence for and discussion of childbirth in the context of other countries, cultures and communities. Utilising a feminist perspective, this book critiques medical control of childbirth and argues in favour of giving power to women so that they can make decisions which are right for them. In doing so, the author unpacks complexities associated with women’s lives in remote communities and highlights the significance of addressing broader determinants impacting birth outcomes and valuing childbirth traditions to ensure cultural safety for women, families and societies. Through exploring the wide range of factors influencing women and their childbirth experiences, this book offers a new model for childbirth that policy makers, practitioners, communities, educators, researchers and other professionals can use to make childbirth an empowering experience for women. It will be of interest to academics and professionals in the fields of public health, midwifery, health promotion, sociology and South Asian Studies.


Rethinking Development in South Asia

Rethinking Development in South Asia

Author: AMIR MOHAMMAD. NASRULLAH

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2022-02

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 9781527577152

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This book challenges the way development has been conceptualized and practiced in South Asian context, and argues for its deconstruction in a way that would allow freedom, choice and greater well-being for the local people. Far from taking development for granted as growth and advancement, this book unveils how development could also be a destructive force to local socio-cultural and environmental contexts. With a critical examination of such conventional development practices as hegemonic, patriarchal, devastating and failure, it highlights how the rethinking of development could be seen as a matter of practice by incorporating peopleâ (TM)s interest, priorities and participation. The book theoretically challenges the conventional notion of hegemonic development and proposes alternative means, and, practically, provides nuances of ethnographic knowledge which will be of great interest to policy planners, development practitioners, educationists and anyone interested in knowing more about how people think about their own development.


An Introduction to Changing India

An Introduction to Changing India

Author: Sirpa Tenhunen

Publisher: Anthem Press

Published: 2012-12-15

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 085728827X

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“An Introduction to Changing India” provides a comprehensive view of the rapid changes occurring in India, particularly in the fields of culture, politics, economics and technology, population, environmental issues and gender. Having carried out anthropological research on kinship, gender issues, politics, class and caste, population issues and the appropriation of information technology in India since the 1990s, the authors draw from their own fieldwork and extensive reading of research reports in order to provide a comprehensive picture of Indian life.


Health, Culture and Religion in South Asia

Health, Culture and Religion in South Asia

Author: Assa Doron

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-09-13

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 131798837X

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Health, Culture and Religion in South Asia brings together top international scholars from a range of social science disciplines to critically explore the interplay of local cultural and religious practices in the delivery and experiences of health in South Asia. This groundbreaking text provides much needed insight into the relationships between health, culture, community, livelihood, and the nation-state, and in particular, the recent struggles of disadvantaged groups to gain access to health care in South Asia. The book brings together anthropologists, sociologists, economists, health researchers and development specialists to provide the reader with an interdisciplinary approach to the study of South Asian health and a comprehensive understanding of cutting edge research in this area. Addressing key issues affecting a range of geographical areas including India, Nepal and Pakistan, this text will be essential reading for students and researchers interested in Asian Studies and for those interested in gaining a better understanding of health in developing countries. This book was published as a special issue of South Asian History and Culture.


Social Development and the Sustainable Development Goals in South Asia

Social Development and the Sustainable Development Goals in South Asia

Author: Nitya Mohan Khemka

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-09-02

Total Pages: 187

ISBN-13: 135103524X

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This book assesses the roadmap for the implementation of the SDGs in South Asia, focusing in particular on the areas of poverty reduction, inequality, health/well-being and water and sanitation. South Asia is amongst the fastest growing regions in the world, with an aggregate GDP in excess of two trillion US dollars, but at the same time it has significant deficits in human development, with 37 per cent of the world's poor and nearly half of the world's malnourished children. For South Asia, the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a constructive opportunity to end many of the region's deprivations in a time-bound and systematic manner. Starting with the legacy of the Millennium Development Goals, the book goes on to provide a country-by-country overview of strategies for addressing the problems of poverty, health, water and sanitation. South-South Cooperation and in particular the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are discussed and, finally, the editors present a summary of policy priorities for social development. This book aims to be a useful resource for researchers, policy influencers, planners, implementers, students, and activists aiming to push to achieve the SDGs.


South Asian Mothering

South Asian Mothering

Author: Jasjit K. Sangha

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781927335017

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This edited collection seeks to initiate a dialogue on South Asian Mothering and how embedded cultural practices inform, shape and influence South Asian mothers perceptions and practices of mothering. Drawing from a diverse collection of articles, this work will explore how social constructions such as gender, race, class, sexuality and ability intersect with migration and tradition both in South Asia and in the South Asian diaspora. This book will appeal to multiple audiences as contributors with backgrounds in academia, activism, public policy, and the media will draw from theory, research and lived experiences to illuminate the complexity of South Asian mothering.


Nutritional and Health Aspects of Food in South Asian Countries

Nutritional and Health Aspects of Food in South Asian Countries

Author: Jamuna Prakash

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2020-03-16

Total Pages: 364

ISBN-13: 0128200111

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Nutritional and Health Aspects of Food in South Asian Countries provides an analysis of traditional and ethnic foods from the South Asia Region, including India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Iran. The book addresses the history of use, origin, composition, preparation, ingredient composition, nutritional aspects, and the effects on the health of various foods and food products in each of these countries from the perspective of their Traditional and Ethnic Foods. In addition, the book presents local and international regulations and provides suggestions on how to harmonize regulations and traditional practices to promote safety and global availability of these foods.