Reeds in the wind of change: Zulu sangomas in transition

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Dissertation / thesis

Title:	Reeds in the wind of change: Zulu sangomas in transition
Author:	Hooghordel, Gerda J.
Year:	2021
Pages:	242
Language:	English
Type of thesis:	Ph.D. dissertation (2021-03-30)
City of publisher:	Leiden
Publisher:	African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL), Leiden University
Geographic term:	South Africa
Subjects:	healers traditional medicine women rural-urban migration dissertations (form)
External link:	https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3151634
Abstract:	This dissertation investigates the changing healing practice of Zulu sangomas in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Indigenous healing in South Africa is currently at a crossroads. While the latest healthcare legislation accepts the traditional healthcare system as equal to cosmopolitan healthcare, the accompanying institutional developments present obligations and challenges for indigenous healers. While the legalisation is important for sangomas, certain valued characteristics of their much-frequented healing practices are now under pressure. This research seeks to detect where transformations in indigenous healing practices originate and it seeks to understand to what purpose adaptations in healing processes serve.