Folk diseases among urban Mexican-Americans. Etiology, symptoms, and treatment
- 11 April 1966
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in JAMA
- Vol. 196 (2) , 161-164
- https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.196.2.161
Abstract
Acculturation and assimilation of persons of Mexican origin in the southwest has been slowed by various social mechanisms of the larger society which tend to keep these people separate, and by a tendency on their part to separate themselves from the larger community by living in barrios. One result of this sociocultural isolation is the preservation of many folk beliefs of Spanish and Hispanic-American origins. Most important among these from a medical point of view are the prescientific concepts of health and disease and the related practices. There is evidence that the belief in folk illnesses and use of folk healers continue to be widespread among urbanized Mexican-Americans. Participation in the system of folk beliefs and curatives does not preclude reliance upon physicians and use of medical services for health problems not defined by folk concepts. Thus, many Mexican-Americans participate in 2 insular systems of health beliefs and health care.This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Relationships between Spanish and Spanish-American Folk MedicineJournal of American Folklore, 1953