World System Analysis of Biomedical Hegemony

摘要

This paper deals with research findings regarding traditional and modern biomedical healthcare systems prevailing in the Village Zandra, District Ziarat in the province of Balochistan. An effort has been made to find out the medical system working in the village which included both beliefs and perceptions related to health and illness and also the activities which natives have adopted or developed to maintain and restore their health. Initially the natives were using traditional and spiritual healing systems, but now, as their economic condition and literacy rate are improving, they are more inclined towards the modern methods of treatment. During the last 3 decades, few changes have been witnessed. Shift from subsistence to market economy has increased the use of allopathic medicines due to the fact that the natives have started opting for secondary sources of income. Besides, researcher endeavored to explore the shift from traditional to modern healthcare and the disparity between natives’ health related beliefs and practices. The impact of these changes has been analyzed in light of world system theory at micro level. The data presented in this paper have been collected by using qualitative anthropological research techniques.