O saber local e os dilemas relacionados à validação e aplicabilidade do conhecimento científico em áreas rurais

Abstract

Based on previous experience from two research projects on schistosomiasis in rural populations, this article focuses on the relations between scientific health knowledge and health-related common sense in farming communities. The article discusses factors that affect the meaning of participation by these communities in exogenous programs, as well as the dilemmas related to the appropriation, validity, and applicability of multiple and non- contextualized health information offered by such programs. The article discusses how the acritical aggregation of large amounts of information, a feature of globalization, deepens the feeling of uncertainty in rural communities and the trend to impute diseases to fatality. Meanwhile, the consumption of medical technologies is viewed as a symbol of progress and is highly valued by these groups. The discussion addresses the important role of health personnel in valuing local empirical knowledge, fostering the incorporation of useful technical knowledge without compromising the cultural heritage on which the identity and health of such groups are based.

Improving the understanding of schistosomiasis among adolescents in endemic areas in Brazil: A comparison of educational methods

“…Besides the low cost associated with its implementation, this strategy is able to achieve significant and lasting results in the control of intestinal parasites [7,8] especially when the social representations of population groups are considered, as well as their pre-existing knowledge and social practices [9]. It is well known that when educational methods are used that avoid reducing the process to the transmission and reception of information, which implies a hierarchical structure, the likelihood of success is greater [10,11]. In the context of schistosomiasis, health education strategies have been linked to reductions in prevalence of infection, improvements in adherence to treatment, and in knowledge of prevention practices [12,13].…”

“…Historically, educational interventions used for the prevention of schistosomiasis have, in most cases, been structured according to a traditional model of education [11,14]. However, when the individual’s experience and the meanings he attributes to the disease are not considered, this model is not capable of stimulating the development of new concepts or changing attitudes toward the disease.…”

Seahorses in focus: local ecological knowledge of seahorse-watching operators in a tropical estuary

“…Maybe he participated in all stages of training, but had not absorbed certain scientific knowledge, or preferred to keep his empirical knowledge as reference. In certain communities, the meanings empirically acquired are not always replaced by exogenous knowledge presented by scientists and other professionals, who do not belong to the local reality [26]. Furthermore, ethnoecological research should not dismiss less-consensual understanding in investigated communities, as these may offer creative contrasts by eliciting original ecological patterns or revealing alternative modes of interaction between humans and other fish species [27, 28].…”

Os Desafios No Trabalho Da Enfermagem Na Estratégia Saúde Da Família Em Área Rural: Revisão Integrativa

“…O debate gira em torno às necessidades dos profissionais da saúde como aliados no sentido de valorizar as manifestações populares e compreender significados do senso comum e da experiência empírica das populações rurais, que favoreçam a inclusão do saber técnico de proveito público sem dano ao patrimônio cultural que está na base da identidade e saúde destes grupos (ROZEMBERG, 2007).…”