3 Review(s)

The volume is a collection of essays on health in the context of tribal culture in honour of Professor Georg Pfeffer of Free University of Berlin, Germany. Health, illness, ritual and sacrifice in tribal communities are interrelated issues which have drawn the attention of scholars across the world. Cultural perceptions of tribal communities are crucial in their health-seeking behaviour. Various aspects of tribal health such as traditional belief in supernatural forces, traditional health practitioners, their position in the society, cultural notion and treatment of diseases, nature and use of medicine, use of traditional and modern practices of birth control, reasons for non-adoption of modern practices, interaction of traditional and modern systems of medicine, etc. have been discussed at length by the contributors to the volume. The contributors to the volume are of the opinion that cultural construction of health and illness by a community is crucial in giving shape to their health system. The volume also critically examines the new perceptions of the tribal people on health in an ever-changing environment. This volume is a must for all the scholars in the fields of anthropology, sociology, tribal studies and public health.