The daughters of Hāritī : childbirth and female healers in South and Southeast Asia / edited by Santi Rozario and Geoffrey Samuel.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Rozario, Santi.

Samuel, Geoffrey

Alumni and Friends Memorial Book Fund.

Series:

Theory and practice in medical anthropology and international health ; v. 7.

Theory and practice in medical anthropology and international health ; v. 7

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women healers--Asia.

Women healers.

Medical anthropology.

Childbirth.

Asia.

Childbirth--Asia.

Medical anthropology--Asia.

Physical Description:

xi, 306 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2002.

Summary:

Hariti is the ancient Indian goddess of childbirth and women healers, known at one time throughout South and Southeast Asia from India to Nepal and Bali. "Daughters of Hariti" looks at her 'daughters' today, female midwives and healers in many different cultures across the region. It also traces the transformation of childbirth in these cultures under the impact of Western biomedical technology, national and international health policies and the wider factors of social and economic change. The authors ask what can be done to improve the high rates of maternal and infant deaths and illnesses still associated with childbirth in most societies in this area and whether the wholesale replacement of indigenous knowledge by Western biomedical technology is necessarily a good thing.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Alumni and Friends Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

0415277922

OCLC:

49853447