This thesis is an ethnographic study of the present day
practice of traditional Chinese herbal medicine by the Chinese
community of Vancouver, British Columbia. A qualitative
research design was used to document the facilities, activities,
people and beliefs involved in the practice of Chinese herbalism. A descriptive survey i s summarized for the 18 herbal
pharmacies found in Vancouver's Chinatown. One herbal pharmacy
is used as an example to provide a case study for the herbal
products available and the interactions between the herbalist
and the clientele. The thesis is organized around three key
questions. The first concerns the social organization of
traditional Chinese herbal knowledge in Vancouver. A tripartite model is used to conceptualize three distinct areas of
expertise and knowledge of traditional herbalism in the Chinese
community. These are the: (i) traditional Chinese herbal
doctors; ( ii ) folk practitioners who are herbal pharmacists;
( iii ) family use of herbs in self-care. A major finding of the
study was the central role the Chinese family plays in perpetuating
the traditional use of herbs for both the prevention
and treatment of disease. The second question attempts to
determine how the practice of Chinese herbalism has changed due
to its transplantation from Asia to Canada. The most significant difference was the minor role played by the traditional Chinese herbal doctor i n Vancouver compared to those in Hong
Kong. The third question the thesis addresses is why "has
Chinese herbalism persisted in a Western setting where everyone
has free access to a government supported health care system.
The author examines both ethnic and cultural explanations to
understand the strength of the Chinese herbal tradition in
Vancouver. Data on the efficacy of Chinese herbs on both
physiological and cultural-symbolic levels is presented to
demonstrate the viability of this healing system i n a contemporary
context. The thesis concludes with a discussion on
the complementarity between the Western and Chinese healing
systems from both a practical and a theoretical perspective. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/41969 |
| Date | January 1982 |
| Creators | Kuprowsky, Stephan George |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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