Shamanism, narratives and the structuring of illness

Abstract

This work examines how the narrative tradition of the Siona Indians regiments the illness experience into a structure of relevance and consequentiality as well as how it provides a model for the generation of persona/narratives. A text that can be considered a prototypical model of an illness narrative is examined. This narrative, as others of its kind, furnishes a model for interpretation and action in ongoing illness situations that defy routine and commonly known therapies. This is done in two ways. One is through narrative structure that establishes a set of certain questions and expectations as to the consequentiality of events: how they evolve, the nature of motives behind misfortunes, and strategies for resolution. The second is through provision of codes or signs that aid in the interpretation of hidden events. In this sense, the illness narratives are not predictive, but indicate what is relevant for interpreting illness and organizing a plan of action.

Uma antropologia da práxis: homenagem a Jean Langdon

“…El trabajo intelectual de Jean sobre narrativas fue una guía em todo el proceso de investigación (cf. LANGDON, , 1997bLANGDON, , 2013a. La narrativa es un modo de expresión fundamental en que los seres humanos organizan y dan forma a la experiencia, otorgándole un sentido (BRUNER, 1991).…”

Antropologia, narrativas e a busca de sentido

“…("A narrativa de doença é uma história que o paciente conta e que muitos outros recontam, para dar uma coerência a diferentes acontecimentos e à longa duração do sofrimento"). 5 Ver, entre outros, Good (1994) e Langdon (1996Langdon ( , 1997. 6 Ou seja, a experiência da situação terapêutica em si.…”