This thesis represents a discussion of gender roles in traditional healing practices in the Bantu ethnic society of Busoga, in the Eastern part of Uganda. Traditional healing practices are an... Show moreThis thesis represents a discussion of gender roles in traditional healing practices in the Bantu ethnic society of Busoga, in the Eastern part of Uganda. Traditional healing practices are an integral element of the life of Busoga society. Traditional medicine is practiced within the parameters of the socio-cultural, economic, religious and political constructions of society. Traditional healing practices among the Basoga are an important resource to all socio-economic groups. The rich and poor, rural and urbanized, illiterate and educated, men and women, seek the services of traditional healers during their lifetime, though each of the social class’s access to traditional medicine is determined by its social positioning and gendered expectations. Traditional medicinal practice is an arena for the production and maintenance of social power relations between men and women. Power relations prevalent in traditional healing are a continuum of the wider gender relations between women and men, which subsequently determine their roles in society. The way society constructs the roles and associated expectations of men and women has not left the practice of traditional medicine unaffected. Busoga society interpretation of health connects with people’s ability to fulfill their basic social expectations, with clear distinctions between men’s and women’s roles. Show less
