Traditionelle Medizin im modernen Nordbenin - Von Naturprodukt und Ganzheitstherapie zu Eco-Social Medicine

Abstract

Even within the globalized world, Traditional Medicine plays an important role for the rural population in northern Benin. From a human geography perspective, this research examines the cultural, societal and economic factors influencing traditional health care. The first part of the research report deals with concepts of post-development and medical geography. The second part explains the applied methodology and offers a sceptic perspective on the research itself. The analysis of qualitative interviews in the third part answers the research questions: firstly, how traditional medicine is integrated into modern society in Benin, focusing on actors, structures, and processes and, secondly, if only specifically traditional medical knowledge is transmitted. To conclude, the last part discusses the high valorisation and at the same time challenging situation for contemporary traditional medicine in a regard to the theories that have been pointed out. [untranslated]