Esquistossomose mansônica: aspectos sócio-culturais em ...

Esquistossomose mansônica: aspectos sócio-culturais... Daniella Coelho G. da Silva
ABSTRACT
Several conceptions about health and diseases came along with time, giving
meaning and understanding about human behavior relating to the diseases. The
development of one specific disease passes through a series of interactive processes to
understand the interrelations of the agent, of the susceptible environment which may act
the global process and its development. The social-anthropologic contributions repair
the subjective and non-subjective aspects of the meanings and practices, as synthesis of
the representation in function of the action of the sociological group establish its
illnesses, becoming a so called social-cultural epidemiology. Anthropology itself
appears to supply the construction of a new paradigm for the approach of health and
diseases, establishing a new conception of relation between individual and culture,
making a true integration of the contextual dimension possible at the approach of the
health problems. The Schistosomiasis mansoni is an endemic disease in the state of
Pernambuco and, for this reason a better understanding of other aspects besides the
biological becomes necessary, at the subjective area, of the social, in order to achieve
success in the applications of public politics for an effective combat of this illness. This
research had as its main objective to understand the social-cultural aspects of the
Schistosomiasis in two localities, the urban community of Vila Sotave II and the rural
community of Vila Caricé, both located in the state of Pernambuco. This study presents
a subjective character, demanding a qualitative approach which offers a more
appropriate theoretical and methodological instrument. To comprehend health and
understand what really is a disease was a hard test, once the subjective construction of
health and disease is related to the cultural experiences. Both studied communities show
different cultural and really important aspects which may directly interfere in the
behavior of their residents. The relation established for the residents of Vila Sotave II
between disease and lack of sanitation establishes the disease casualty in this region,
while in Vila Caricé they attribute to the cause of Schistosomiasis to river waters,
creating a conflict between the need of the river as a form of survival.
Key-words: Conceptions for health and disease, anthropology and Schistosomiasis
mansoni
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