In South Africa, just like in any other country within the African continent, traditional healing remains an integral part of many communities and this is not just restricted to the rural communities only, as is sometimes assumed. The main aim of this research was to explore the approaches of traditional healers in the treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Chris Hani District Municipality, Eastern Cape. The following research objectives were followed regarding the approaches of traditional healers in the treatment of HIV/AIDS: (i) to assess how traditional healers and people living with HIV/AIDS in Tsengiwe village understand HIV/AIDS, (ii) to investigate the reasons people living with HIV/AIDS consult traditional healers in Tsengiwe village, (iii) to assess Tsengiwe village traditional healers’ treatment strategies for HIV/AIDS, (iv) to establish how traditional healers view their role in the treatment of HIV/AIDS in Tsengiwe village. A qualitative research design was utilized, using in-depth interviews with traditional healers and focus group discussions with caregivers and people living with HIV/AIDS respectively. A type of non-probability sampling known as purposive sampling was used. A total of sixteen (16) participants were interviewed. The findings in this research revealed the following themes: (i) HIV/AIDS is incurable and it is understood by symptoms, (ii) belief system entrenched in traditional healing, (iii) cleansing rituals and traditional medicinal remedies and, (iv) strengthening relations between stakeholders. While traditional healers expressed a willingness to work with biomedical professionals in the management of HIV/AIDS, caregivers and people living with HIV/AIDS preferred going to clinics and hospitals for treatment. Furthermore, people living with HIV/AIDS in this research never admitted to consulting traditional healers for their ailments, only saying that they choose to self-medicate.

PhD (Psychology) / Department of Psychology

論文名稱：非典型原住民活力：傑偌•維森諾《熱線療者》中的 後印地安、喜劇與移動力 指導教授：梁一萍 教授 研究生：尤吟文 論文提要內容： 傑偌•維森諾（Gerald Vizenor）認為所謂的「印地安」（indian）是一個沒有指涉目標的空集合（absence without reference），而「原住民」（native）才是指這個文化所代表的真正的意涵。相較於其他原住民作家的作品，維森諾的寫作方式可說是獨樹一幟。在原住民文學中，許多的主題不外乎是尋找身分認同（identity）的過程、強調人與自然之間的和諧關係、表現白人社會與原住民文化之間的隔閡等等。這種思鄉式（nostalgia）的描寫方式對於維森諾來說不只是種老掉牙的（stereotypical）表現方式，更是主流文學（literature of dominance）加諸在原住民文化上的表現方式（manifest manners）。為了與主流文學抗衡，維森諾以搗蛋鬼論述（trickster discourse）的寫作技巧來顛覆原住民文學的傳統，以天馬行空的想像力及奇異怪誕的內容來表現另類的原住民作品。 《熱線療者》是維森諾在1997年的作品，書中的主人翁－－差不多部朗（Almost Browne）是本書中的搗蛋鬼，他穿越時空的限制，帶給讀者一個又一個的故事，這些故事不具有教導意義，而是表現出想像力的無限。差不多部朗曾經在許多維森諾的小說故事中呈現，在《熱線療者》一書中，他與他的姪子，也就是小說的敘述者，以插訶打諢、嘻笑怒罵的方式與政治界和學術界有了第一線接觸，他們也回到過去，目睹了原住民傳說的起源。每個小故事，不管時間地點為何，差不多部朗和他的姪子總是在場。這些故事也搭著原住民第一列火車－－納那波佐快車（Naanabozho Express），隨著列車的移動傳出去。 本文的第一章為總論，簡述維森諾生平、《熱線療者》的故事情節與維森諾自成一格的批評理論。為了表現出原住民文化以及生活的生命力、多樣性和複雜性，維森諾提出所謂的「後印地安」的觀念，指出「印地安」是一種虛擬的再現（simulated representation），只有具有想像力和生命力的「後印地安」才是真正的存在（presence），這也是第二章所討論的部分。第三章則是從喜劇出發，檢討原住民文學的悲劇犧牲性（tragic victimry）實為主流文學的表現方式，只有透過全喜劇論述（comic holotrope）才能真正了解原住民文學。第四章則聚焦於移動力（motion），直指原住民文學的不可限制性，唯有透過對於移動力的了解，原住民文學才能表現出其生命力及想像力，就像差不多部朗或是納那波佐列車一樣，永遠在宇宙間移動（always in motion）。第五章為結論，《熱線療者》是維森諾寫的最後一本有關差不多部朗的小說，在這本小說中，維森諾以另類的筆調及呈現方式將原住民文學帶到一個充滿創造力的世界，經由他的喜劇效果，《熱線療者》提供了另一個檢視原住民文學的角度（alternative, alter-native）。 / Indian, as Gerald Vizenor points out, is the absence of natives without reference to real native cultures while native is the presence of the native survivance. In the field of Native American Literature, the most common themes are the quest for identity, the harmony between nature and people and the conflict between native and white cultures. The nostalgic representation of natives depicted in these common themes, for Vizenor, is not only a stereotypical clich□ but also the manifest manners imposed on Native American Literature by the literature of dominance. In order to resist the burden imposed on Native American Literature, Vizenor, with his unique writing style, applies trickster discourse to subvert the stereotypes brought forth by the literature of dominance. With creativity and imagination, Vizenor presents alternative aspects for Native American Literature. Fascinated by the extraordinary writing style and narrative strategy, I find that the novel, Hotline Healers, illustrates Vizenor’s comprehensive viewpoints on Native American literature. Hotline Healers is Vizenor’s most recent novel which was published in 1997. In the novel, Almost Browne is a protagonist trickster who travels beyond the spatial and temporal limitations. The stories he tells with his travels are not intended to provide lessons; on the contrary, they are the true representation of native imagination. Almost Browne and his cousin, the narrator in the novel, take the first Native train, the Naanabozho Express, to give lectures in several occasions and result in several funny and hilarious encounters with politicians as well as academia. They also return to the past and witness the origins of the native folklores. Almost Browne and his cousin are omnipresent in the stories. With the moving of the Naanabozho Express, more and more stories disseminate native imagination and creativity. There are five chapters in my thesis. The first chapter, “Introduction,” summarizes the life and works of Gerald Vizenor, gives a plot summary of Hotline Healers, and introduces Vizenor’s critical conceptions on Native American Literature. In Chapter Two, I illustrate Vizenor’s view on postindian. Postindian, as Vizenor indicates, absolves the burden of stereotypical indian representations. With the idea of postindian, Vizenor focuses on the presence of natives as well as native vitality and imagination and thus subverts the culturalist stereotypical portraita of indian which is the simulated representation without reference. In Chapter Three, I concentrate on the comic effect employed by Vizenor in Hotline Healers. Comic holotrope is one of Vizenor’s writing techniques which is different from the themes of tragic victimry found in most Native American literary works. Comic holotrope presents the vitality of native culture while tragic victimry burdens Native American Literature with “manifest manners.” In Chapter Four, I explore the concept of motion in the novel. The idea of motion is not only the demonstration of the bounderlessness of Native American literary imaginatinos but also the representation of the transformative native wisdom. In the fifth chapter, I conclude that the novel, being Vizenor’s latest novel on Almost Browne, incorporates his alternative vision of tribal survivance and critical concepts of postindian, comic holotrope, and motion to elevate Native American Literature to a creative and imaginative world. The novel provides readers with an alternative point of view toward Native American Literature.

<p>This thesis investigated the potential role of indigenous healers in life skills education in South African schools. The main focus of this study was to explore how indigenous knowledge of traditional healers can contribute to the development of life skills education in South African schools. The research also sought to strengthen Education Support Services in the South African education system, in order to address barriers to learning. These barriers to learning are linked to health challenges such as substance abuse, violence, malnutrition and HIV/AIDS and many other health-related issues in school-going age learners.</p>

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T19:31:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Vania Vaz.pdf: 1092344 bytes, checksum: 9f84934ce923a4fe0bf42a63bde54108 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-06-09 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This research, "Faith Healers: their life experiences and the life of healing", is a narrative study of some Faith Healers who reside in the city of Irati, located in the Central-Southern region of Paraná State. The objectives of this project are the reflection about different aspects of these women s life experiences, the influence of their social relations in the development of their practices, as well as the representation of their multiple actions, which include the Faith Healers daily lives, their personal views, and their particular way of interpreting the universe, which involves the healing rituals. Such a universe is marked by demonstrations of religiousness and faith, which can also include other actions: the discovery and/or development of the Gift, connections with protective divine entities, the development of specific rituals, besides the meaning of the Christian and social roles performed by the healers in their service, which are interpreted in a particular way by each one of the possessors of the Gift of Healing. / Esta pesquisa, " As benzedeiras da cidade de Irati: suas experiências com o mundo, e o mundo da benzeção ", é um estudo de narrativas de algumas benzedeiras residentes na cidade de Irati, localizada na Região Centro-Sul do Estado do Paraná. Os objetivos deste trabalho consistem na reflexão sobre diferentes aspectos da experiência de vida dessas mulheres, a influência de suas relações sociais no desenvolvimento de suas práticas, bem como a apresentação das múltiplas ações que envolvem o cotidiano das benzedeiras, suas visões pessoais e seu modo particular de interpretação do universo que envolve os rituais de benzeção. Tal universo é pautado por demonstrações de religiosidade e fé, que inclusive chegam a compreender outras ações: a descoberta e/ou o desenvolvimento do " Dom ", relações com entidades divinas protetoras, o desenvolvimento de rituais específicos, além do sentido dos papéis social e cristão exercidos pelas benzedeiras em seu ofício, os quais são interpretados de maneira peculiar por cada uma das possuidoras do "Dom de Benzer"

Thesis (M.A. (African Languages)) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / Refer to document

This study focuses on the characterization of Cushman’s healers in her three medieval novels The Midwife’s Apprentice; Catherine, Called Birdy; and Matilda Bone. I specifically look at the physical descriptions, medical practices, and the healer’s role within the community as an accepted medical authority. Cushman’s portrayals illuminate the different locations and situations in which women practiced medicine during the Middle Ages, thus she presents more historically accurate portrayals of female healers. The significance of this project is that Cushman challenges the stereotype of the isolated and disfigured old crone that has been, perhaps inadvertently, perpetuated by authors and focuses on the historical accuracies of female healers. Many young readers learn about history through novels and it is important that authors present accurate historical representations of the past they are trying to describe to their audiences. In addition, this project will bring multiple disciplines together such as medieval studies, young adult literature, medical history, and folklore in order to illuminate the historical accuracies and representations of female healers.

No description available.

This research investigated the transformative and extraordinary experiences of nurse healers. The broad aim of the research was to promote the role of the healer in nursing by providing data on the experiences specific to nurse healers’ evolution as healers. The research was theoretically informed by van Manen (1990, 1984) and utilised hermeneutic phenomenology. Van Manen’s emphasis on writing as the key element of phenomenology in lived experience research was employed to bring forth a sense of lived immediacy and aesthetic colour essential to phenomenological understanding. The thesis was also theoretically aligned with the conceptual model of nursing as a caring-healing profession, developed by Jean Watson (1999, 1990a, 1988, 1985a). In particular, this research drew on Watson’s explicit connection of nursing with healing and nursing practice with transformational, transpersonal and esoteric insights. There were eleven nurse (nine women and two men) participants in the study. All participants identified strongly as healers. Selection was based on how long, and important to the individual was their commitment to being a healer. The data collection method used was semi structured interview with a predominant focus on storytelling. The overarching theme of ‘Walking Two Worlds’ was identified, and within that five essential themes were uncovered: (1) Belonging & Connecting; (2) Opening to Spirit; (3) Summoning; (4) Wounding & Healing Journey; and (5) Living as a Healer. Implications for nursing discussed include the need for the profession to provide support to nurse healers as they encounter challenging experiences and to allow for ontological flexibility regarding the esoteric aspects of human/spiritual experience revealed by this research. Further the need to extend the understanding invoked by healing beyond the obvious and opening vistas into experience which have been previously repudiated by domineering, narrow and spirit-denying powers in our society is also discussed.