Deck 6: Illness, Healing, and Religion

Question 1

Ethnomedicine, as defined by the editors of this book, includes all of the following EXCEPT:

A) A society's own system of medicine, including those with long histories of documenting their own medical knowledge
B) Folk or ritual medicine
C) Holistic consideration of cultural, economic, political, and environmental that affect health and medicine
D) Generalized Western pharmaceutical treatments aimed at treating symptoms

Answer 1

Generalized Western pharmaceutical treatments aimed at treating symptoms

Question 2

All of the following would be described by Foster as Personalistic Etiologies EXCEPT:

A) Intrusion from an outside force
B) Curse
C) Conditions such as cold, wetness, or wind
D) Taboo

Answer 2

Conditions such as cold, wetness, or wind

Question 3

According to Foster, in a naturalistic etiology, religion can play what role in illness?

A) Causative
B) Curative
C) Transfer

Answer 3

Curative

Question 4

Foster would describe spirit possession as a __________ personalistic cause while he would describe the victim of this spirit possession speaking in tongues as a ___________ cause.

A) immediate; naturalistic
B) efficient; instrumental
C) instrumental; immediate
D) naturalistic; instrumental

Question 5

If a patient seeks treatment from a healer of some sort and the healer states that the patient's illness is related to equilibrium loss not religion or spirit possession, caused by a single source, and responsibility resides with in the patient, this healer would be most aligned with:

A) Personalistic Etiology
B) Folk healing Etiology
C) Naturalistic Etiology
D) Multiple levels of illness causation

Question 6

All of the following are causes of unbalance and lack of fluidity discussed in De La Portilla's work EXCEPT:

A) disharmony of personal/internal forces
B) environmental factors such as wind
C) exploitative consumption of energy produced by the environment
D) the physical state of unbalance

Question 7

The power of Curandero/as is said to be derived in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

A) Transference of power from another
B) A calling to heal
C) A guide or mentor to assist in realization of a natural ability
D) Individuals born with this power

Question 8

All of the following are cures/rituals/practices discussed by De La Portilla in relation to spirit possession EXCEPT:

A) Ritualistic dance
B) Sweeping of spirits with branches of rue, cedar, and basil.
C) Use of an egg to absorb harm and neutralize energy.
D) Removal of obstructions from the body

Question 9

According to Aurthur Klienman's definition of illness as culturally constructed discussed by De La Portilla, which of the following factors contributes to manifested physical symptoms?

A) Feelings of loss of control
B) Economic stress
C) Labor or job related stressors
D) All of the above

Question 10

All of the following are roles that Curandero/as take in finding solutions/cures for their clients EXCEPT:

A) The party who diagnoses and treats with herbs, physical treatment, or biomedical medicine
B) Translator of symptoms into a social context
C) One who somaticizes emotional distress
D) All of the above

Question 11

For the Curandero/as participating in De la Portilla's study, the body has all of the following roles in healing EXCEPT:

A) A medium for spirits and social constructions
B) an entity separate from the spirit, mind, or surrounding environment
C) A vessel for energy
D) A multi-faced concept of continuously developing identity

Question 12

What are principles used by the Curandero/as interviewed in De La Portilla's study that dually serve to help Mexican Americans in San Antonio with the acculturation process?

A) Emphasis on the idea of fluidity and flexibility
B) Emphasis on working with and within structures that confound and affect illness and healing processes
C) Emphasis on balance and adaption to change rather than habit
D) All of the above

Question 13

Hmong epileptics often become shamans because

A) they are seen as unfit to work as laborers.
B) they are believed to have the power to heal and cause harm.
C) seizures give the ability to see things others can not and help facilitate entry into trance.
D) seizures symbolize death from the material world and rebirth into the spiritual world.

Question 14

Historically epilepsy has been attributed to

A) abnormal brain activity caused by various stimulants.
B) oxygen deprivation during gestation.
C) supernatural causes.
D) parental abuse.

Question 15

Despite its modernity and state-of-the-art equipment, MCMC in Merced, California deals with economic problems which

A) obligate doctors to refuse treatment to the uninsured.
B) means that less skilled doctors are hired.
C) limit the number of immigrants able to receive medical care.
D) negatively effect communication between English and non-English speakers.

Question 16

Experiences in the refugee camp in Thailand did not shake Foua and Nao Kao's faith in traditional Hmong medicine but did

A) convince them that some additional Western medical help could complement traditional practices.
B) convince them that Western medicine is almost always effective.
C) encourage them to learn basic Western medical practices to use in the home.
D) encourage them to take their children for yearly checkups with Western physic

Question 17

According to Kenyon's research on "zar" possessions in Sudan, all of the following demographics show presence of "zar" beliefs or practices EXCEPT:

A) Non-Muslims living in Southern and Western regions
B) Muslims living in Southern and Western regions
C) Widespread Rural populations
D) None of the above

Question 18

All of the following factors contribute to the success of "zar" healing practices in Sennar EXCEPT:

A) Perceived lack of medical expertise in medical doctors at the Sennar hospital site
B) High social classes supporting the banned practices of "zar"
C) Lack of support staff such as nurses and social workers at the Sennar Hospital
D) None of the above

Question 19

Spirits represented in the "zar"assembly of spirits are:

A) Derewish (male, sufi leaders), Azikha (female mediums of spiritual power), Khawajat (male, light skinned traders), Habbashi (male, Abbyssinians/Ethiopians), Ziruq (male, tribal peoples to the west and south), Zar of the Arabs (male, Muslim pastoral nomads, spirits and humans), and al-Sittat (female spirits from all of the other boats).
B) Derewish (fimale, sufi leaders), Pashawat (female, Egyptian and Turk administrators), Khawajat (female, light skinned traders), Habbashi (female, Abbyssinians/Ethiopians), Ziruq (female, tribal peoples to the west and south), Zar of the Arabs (female, Muslim pastoral nomads, spirits and humans), and al-Sittat (male spirits from all of the other boats).
C) Derewish (male, sufi leaders), Pashawat (male Egyptian and Turk administrators), Khawajat (male,light skinned traders), Habbashi (male, Abbyssinians/Ethiopians), Ziruq (male, tribal peoples to the west and south), Zar of the Arabs (male, Muslim pastoral nomads, spirits and humans), and al-Sittat (female spirits from all of the other boats)
D) Derewish (male, sufi leaders), Pashawat (male Egyptian and Turk administrators), Khawajat (male, light skinned traders), Habbashi (male, Abbyssinians/Ethiopians), Ziruq (amimal spirits of spiritual power), Zar of the Arabs (male, Muslim pastoral nomads, spirits and humans), and al-Sittat (female spirits from all of the other boats)

Question 20

All of the following are ways that "zar" has modernized and adapted with Sudanese culture EXCEPT:

A) Providing a necessary scapegoat for people to cope with change
B) It has become increasingly public, performative, and profitable which contributes to fraudulent fakis
C) It allows an outlet for women to have power and have discourse about issues and changes that impacts them
D) It allows for an embodiment of knowledge form other cultures and novel stimuli

Question 21

All of the following are types or levels of "zar" in Sudanese society EXCEPT:

A) Small, private healings
B) Mass, public, performative healings
C) Mention in day to day conversations
D) None of the Above

Question 22

Gilmore draws upon Victor Truner's components of "rites of passage" to analyze the Burning Man Festival. These components are: A(1) Ritualized journey to a (2) specific culturally imbued geographic location intended to (3) connect .individuals to a collective experience of (4) something beyond their ordinary existence, something perhaps sacred, transcendent, healing, or transformative, however, the individuals and communities involved choose to conceive those ideas and that (5) can emerge in either religious or secular contexts. B(1) Ritualized journey to a (2) specific culturally imbued geographic or nonexistent metaphoric .location intended to (3) connect individuals to a collective experience of (4) something beyond their ordinary existence, something perhaps sacred, transcendent, healing, or transformative, however, the individuals and communities involved choose to conceive those ideas and that (5) can emerge in only religious contexts.

A) (1)Ritualized journey to a (2) specific culturally imbued geographic location intended to (3) connect individuals to a collective experience of (4) something beyond their ordinary existence, something perhaps sacred, transcendent, healing, or transformative, however, the individuals and communities involved choose to conceive those ideas and that (5) can emerge in either religious or secular contexts
B) (1) Ritualized journey to a (2) specific culturally imbued geographic or nonexistent metaphoric location intended to (3) connect individuals to a collective experience of (4) something beyond their ordinary existence, something perhaps sacred, transcendent, healing, or transformative, however, the individuals and communities involved choose to conceive those ideas and that (5) can emerge in only religious contexts
C) (1) Journey to a (2) specific culturally imbued geographic location intended to (3) connect
individuals to a collective experience.
D) (1) Ritualized journey to a (2) specific culturally imbued geographic location intended to (3) connect individuals to a collective experience (4) that is multi-phasic.

Question 23

All of the following ideological aspects of pilgrimage are discussed by Gilmore with regard to the Burning Man Festival EXCEPT:

A) participation and community
B) individual self-realization and self-reliance
C) principle of "leave no trace" and minimal impact on the surrounding environment
D) projection of experiences into tangible commoditized items

Question 24

The concept of Communitas, as described by Turner and utilized in Gilmore's analysis of Burning Man includes all of the following components EXCEPT:

A) egalitarianism
B) dissolution of personal identity
C) disrupted sense of conventional hierarchy
D) unity

Question 25

With what tangible evidence does Gilmore argue that Burning Man has reached out into a broader sphere of influence?

A) The presence of "Spin-off" events.
B) The growth of the size of the festival.
C) The fact that some long-term participants no longer feel the need ot attend because they feel that they can live in the "Burning Man" space without physically being present at the festival.
D) All of the above.

Question 26

The Western medical system considers economic, political, and environmental factors in illness treatment.

Question 27

Foster believes that naturalistic etiologies to be more ancient than personalistic.

Question 28

Incidences of disease or illness may bridge across the classifications of personalistic and naturalistic.

Question 29

According to Foster, naturalistic etiologies have multiple levels of causality while personalistic etiologies are limited to one level of causality.

Question 30

According to De La Portilla, Material, Spiritualism and Physical healing are the three areas of Curandisimo.

Question 31

Broundaries between the three areas of Curandisimo are strict and curandero/as generally stick to one methodology primarily.

Question 32

Water, symbolic of fluidity, is critical in many curandisimo practices as a purifier.

Question 33

According to De La Portilla more women than men seek healing from curandero/as.

Question 34

Hmong children often acted as translators at MCMC when family members became ill.

Question 35

Lia, a Hmong-American child, was finally correctly diagnosed when a bilingual nurse's assistant was on duty.

Question 36

Because of negative experiences with Western medicine in the past, the Hmong-American Lee family regarded a visit to the hospital as the last resort.

Question 37

Many studies have concluded that Hmong mothers share especially strong bonds with their children.

Question 38

According to Kenyon's study, "zar" in Sudan can create a counter hegemony for women within the larger patriarchal society.

Question 39

Kenyon's initial predictions about the decline of attendance at "zar" ceremonies after the advent of Shari'a law in Sudan were true.

Question 40

Spirits involved in "zar" are constant, but the prevalience with which they appear in posessions is fluid and thought to be reactive to environmental factors.

Question 41

Two of the few commodities sold at the Burning Man Festival are ice and coffee.

Question 42

All participants in the Burning Man Festival experience healing, rites of passage, a liminal space, and communitas.

Question 43

When participants describe their healing experiences at Burning Man, majority of responses included in Gilmore's article mention components of the concept of communitas as most influential or directly related to their healing experiences.