“God Has Commanded Me”: A Spiritual Code of a Traditional Birth Attendance (TBA)
-
Sonny Zaluchu
and
Fotarisman Zaluchu
Abstract
Many studies have demonstrated the significant involvement of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) during pregnancy and delivery. In several countries, including Indonesia, the role of the TBA cannot be easily replaced by Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs), reducing the capacity of the health sector to reduce the maternal mortality rate. The TBA has a religious and social connection with the community in her area which is often undervalued by the medically-trained SBA; this disconnect interferes with the provision of quality care. In this paper, with the use of a narrative approach, a TBA reveals her reflection and perspective as rooted in the community where she lives. This ethnography provides living evidence that the point of view of modern health professionals often fails when faced with the world view of the community. TBAs have social power that cannot be separated from the social context where they live. Therefore, an analysis of the religious aspects of a TBA’s practice should enrich the effort to decrease the maternal mortality rate. The religiosity of a community is closely connected with the community’s perspective on health.
Zusammenfassung
Der Aufsatz präsentiert eine ethnographische Studie zur traditionellen Geburtshilfe in Indonesien. Im Unterschied zu schulmedizinisch ausgebildeten Geburtshelferinnen sind die traditionellen Geburtshelferinnen eng in das religiöse und soziale Leben ihrer örtlichen Gemeinschaften eingebunden. Dies ermöglicht ihnen, auf das Gesundheitsverständnis ihrer Gemeinschaft Einfluss zu nehmen und so auf eine Senkung der Müttersterblichkeit hinzuwirken – eine von medizinischer Seite oft verkannte Stärke.
© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
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- Ryan LaMothe, Pastoral Care in the Anthropocene Age: Facing a Dire Future Now, Lanham ML (Lexington Books) 2022, 213pp., ISBN 9781793641472 (e-book: 9781793641489), $100.00 USD
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Frontmatter
- Editorials
- A Passion for Clear Writing
- New Section of Booknotes Online Launched: Tell the Community about New, Exciting Publications!
- International Report
- Is Poland Still the Bulwark of Christendom?
- Research Report
- Another World? Practical Wisdom for the End-Times
- Research Articles
- Research Supervision as a Spiritual Ministry: A Confluence of Object Relations, Psychodynamics and Grace
- A Doxological Response to the Problem of Disenchantment
- In (Partial) Defence of the Monologue Sermon
- A Pilgrim’s Performance: Practical Theology as Convening
- A New-Old Spirituality: How Spirituality has Softened and Revitalized Religion
- “God Has Commanded Me”: A Spiritual Code of a Traditional Birth Attendance (TBA)
- Book Reviews
- Ignatius Swart, Auli Vähäkangas, Marlize Rabe, Annette Leis-Peters (eds.), Stuck in the Margins? Young People and Faith-Based Organisations in South African and Nordic Localities, Göttingen (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht) 2022, 341 pp., ISBN 9783525568552, €100.00
- Birgit Weyel, Wilhelm Gräb, Emmanuel Y. Lartey, Cas Wepener (eds.), International Handbook of Practical Theology, Berlin / Boston (Walter de Gruyter) 2022, 824 pp., ISBN 9783110644555, €82.95 (De Gruyter Reference) – for open access, see: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110618150/html#contents
- Veronice Miles, Embodied Hope: A Homiletical Theology Reflection, Eugene, OR (Cascade Books) 2021, 268 pp., ISBN 9781532699863, $32.00 USD
- Ryan LaMothe, Pastoral Care in the Anthropocene Age: Facing a Dire Future Now, Lanham ML (Lexington Books) 2022, 213pp., ISBN 9781793641472 (e-book: 9781793641489), $100.00 USD
