"Sometimes the Yoni Is Like a Jasmine Flower": The Vayattati's Hands in Twentieth-Century Kerala
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Vayattatis in southern India used traditional massage and care techniques for maternal health. Their methods offered an alternative to biomedicine, preserving indigenous knowledge for women and children.
Area Of Science
- Medical Anthropology
- History of Medicine
- Sociology of Health
Background
- Vayattatis are traditional healers in southern India specializing in pre- and postpartum care.
- Twentieth-century healthcare landscapes saw the rise of biomedicine alongside traditional practices.
- Understanding indigenous health systems is crucial for a comprehensive view of maternal healthcare.
Purpose Of The Study
- To examine the techniques and technologies of vayattatis in southern Indian pre- and postpartum care.
- To explore the social contexts and historical development of vayattati healing practices.
- To analyze the vayattatis' critique of biomedicine and its impact on women's health.
Main Methods
- Analysis of oral histories from twentieth-century vayattatis.
- Archival research on traditional healing practices in southern India.
- Examination of generational knowledge transmission and adaptation of care techniques.
Main Results
- Vayattatis developed and adapted specialized techniques for maternal and child care over generations.
- They established an authoritative knowledge base as a counterpoint to perceived inaccessibility and technicism in biomedicine.
- Vayattatis offered critiques of technoscientific modernities and their adverse effects on women's bodies.
Conclusions
- Traditional vayattati practices, including massage, facilitated postpartum healing and recovery.
- Indigenous healing systems offer valuable insights and alternatives within diverse healthcare landscapes.
- The study highlights the resilience and adaptability of traditional women's health knowledge systems.
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