essay
'All the good and bad in this world': Women, traditional medicine, and Mexican American culture
twice a minority : mexican american women • St. Louis, Missouri • Published In 1980 • Pages: 127-148
By: Macklin, June.
Abstract
This article examines the relation between the role of women and traditional or folk medicine in Mexican American culture. Although several aspects of Mexican American folk medicine are discussed in this study, major emphasis in on the role of women as healers or CURANDERAS, and their relationship to the spiritist/spiritualist mediums. Macklin writes that 'as a healer, a woman epitomizes all of the good associated with femininity: she is knowledgeable, self-sacrificing, nurturant, caring, submissive yet protecting, loyal, chaste, and close to divine power; but the same arcane knowledge and ability to traffic with spirits suggest all that is dark, mysterious, and bad in the power of being a female' (p. 127). As an example of a particularly successful CURANDERA the author presents biographical data on Mrs. Lila G.-- how she became a healer, her relationship to the spirit world (especially the spirit of El Niño Fidencio, who was her primary spirit helper in curing), and general notes on her methods of curing.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2002
- Region
- North America
- Sub Region
- Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Social Scientist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle ; 2001
- Field Date
- no date
- Coverage Date
- not specified
- Coverage Place
- United States
- Notes
- June Macklin
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 146-148)
- LCCN
- 80011177
- LCSH
- Mexican Americans