Thesis information "Knowledge of illness and treatment choices of the Tay people in rural mountainous areas of Yen Bai province (case study of Kien Thanh commune, Tran Yen district)" by HVCH Nguyen Thu Quynh, majoring in Ethnology.1. Full name of student: Nguyen Thu Quynh 2. Gender: Female 3. Date of birth: November 1, 1987 4. Place of birth: Minh Quan, Tran Yen, Yen Bai 5. Decision to recognize student No.: 1528/QD - XHNV - KH&SDH dated: October 14, 2009 by the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 6. Changes in the training process: None 7. Thesis topic: Knowledge of illness and treatment options of the Tay people in rural mountainous areas of Yen Bai province (case study of Kien Thanh commune, Tran Yen district) 8. Major: Ethnology; Code: 602270 9. Scientific supervisor: Associate Professor. Dr. Nguyen Van Chinh, Department of Anthropology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. 10. Summary of the results of the thesis: This study investigates the knowledge of illness and the decision to choose the method of treatment of the Tay people in the rural mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam. This study is based on the hypothesis that there are certain differences between the knowledge of the people and the scientific knowledge of illness. The people explain the phenomenon of illness by the perception and experience they have acquired from previous generations and from within the community. Their explanations of illness are often expressed through traditional concepts of the disease mechanism, mainly the relationship between the two factors HOT and COLD, but are also sometimes explained from a spiritual perspective, through the relationship between the invisible SUPERNATURAL force and HUMANS in the real world, so they often have religious, mystical, and even somewhat irrational colors. On that basis, this study sets out to explore people's knowledge and perceptions of illness to understand how that knowledge influences their health care practices. This study shows that knowledge about illness and traditional treatments are passed down from generation to generation, in which women play a very important role in preserving that knowledge. Concepts about illness have a great impact on treatment choice behavior, but besides that, other factors such as the patient's family's ability to pay, the ability to provide services of the medical areas in the place of residence, and traffic conditions also affect their choice as well as the treatment process. On the other hand, it is rare for a treatment decision to be made by an individual, even by a family (nuclear family), but kinship relationships play a very important role. Usually, the decision to treat will be made after the whole family and relatives discuss, and in those discussions, the opinion of the head of the household or the head of the clan is often the final opinion. Based on the sharing of common knowledge about illness, and based on the context of each sick family, people choose treatment areas according to different models. They may go to many different medical areas, or go to medical areas in turn; or combine both models first. From the main findings from the case study of a Tay community in Tran Yen, it can be concluded that traditional culture and socio-economic conditions are two main factors affecting the decision-making of the Tay people on treatment methods. 11. Practical applicability: By clarifying the relationship between knowledge about illness and treatment choices, as well as how that relationship affects human health, this study provides knowledge about the concepts and behaviors of the Tay people in Tran Yen about illness, disease and how they choose treatment methods. The implications from the main findings of this study are considered useful for building health care programs for the Tay people in particular and people of ethnic minority communities in general. 12. Further research directions: It is necessary to conduct research on this issue on a broader scale, using a comparative approach to knowledge and health services in different locations and ethnic groups to bring more practical implications for practical actions.
INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS
1. Full name: NGUYEN THU Quynh 2. Gender: Female 3. Date of birth: November 1, 2987 4. Place of birth: Minh Quan, Tran Yen, Yen Bai 5. Admission decision number: 1528/ QD – XHNV – KH&SĐH Dated October 14, 2009 6. Changes in academic process: 7. Official thesis title: Local knowledge on sickness and treatment options of Tay people in Yen Bai province (A case study in Kien Thanh commune, Tran Yen district) 8. Major: Ethnology; Code: 602270 9. Supervisor: Assoc. Prof., Dr. Nguyen Van Chinh, Department of Anthropology, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. 10. Thesis summary: This study is ethnography on the Tay people's knowledge on the sickness and their choices of treatments. The study first explores the traditional concepts of the Tay ethnic group in Tran Yen Commune, Yen Bai province, then analyzes the factors contributing into the way how the local people choose the treatment remedies. It is based on the proposition that there are differences in the local knowledge and modern scientific points of views regarding the state of illness, particularly with regards to the diagnosis of the causes of sickness from which the treatment methods are selected. Physically, it is believed that the heat and coldness are basic elements in traditional diagnosis of sickness while the interaction between human beings and supernatural forces is considered to be the major causes of illness. Based on the diagnosis of sickness causes, the treatment choices are made, ranging from seeking for the traditional medicine, traditional healers, hospitals, shamans or buying western medicine. This knowledge about the illness and treatment is shared and handed down from generation to generation among community members, in which women play an important role in the process. The concept of illness has a large impact on their behavior of treatment options; However, there are also other factors considering the decisions and process of treatment such as the patient's affordability, the ability to provide services from medical sectors, and means of transportation. In many cases, it is found that individuals and their nuclear family members rarely make the final decision of treatment remedies but the voices of the heads of extended family are usually listened and obeyed. On the basis of sharing the common knowledge about illness, and based on the situation of each patient, treatment options in different areas are chosen, ranging from following the traditional healing to modern health care or combination of two. Our study indicates that traditional culture and family's socio-economic conditions have a strong impact on decision making of treatment for illness of the Tay. 11. Applicability in practice: By providing an ethnography on the relationship between knowledge about illness and treatment options as well as its impact on humans' health, this study contributes to practical actions for health care programs among the Tay in particular, and ethnic settlements in Yen Bai general. . 12. Further research directions: Further research on a larger scale and comparative approach could provide more useful information for practical purposes.
