Religious-Magical Beliefs and Traditional Treatments as Seeking Cure for Infertility: The Case of Şirnak

Abstract

This study is reflected from a micro-sociological and hermeneutic social science perspective. The subject of the study is the religious-magical beliefs and traditional treatment methods, which are specific to traditional culture, which married women who cannot have children despite their desire apply to have a child. The aim of the study is the religious-magical practices of women who are suffering from infertility problems caused by themselves or their spouses, as an alternative to modern medicine; on the other hand, it is to explain the meanings ascribed to traditional treatment approaches, which are examples of folk medicine, and the ways of experiencing them. While doing this, the phenomenological research design, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used. In phenomenological researches, it is important how people who share a common phenomenon/experience make sense of and define the experience; focuses on the reflections of the same phenomenon in different lives. In this context, 28 married women over the age of 18 living in the Centre of City, Cizre, Silopi and İdil districts of Şırnak province were included in this study. The data collection technique of the research is face-to-face in-depth interviews. The data analysis method of the study is descriptive and systematic analysis based on the categorization and theming of the data revealed from the deciphered texts. Although there are similar studies in the literature -made in different regions- to this study, no study on this subject has been found in Şırnak. In this context, it is thought that this study will contribute to the field of medical sociology/health sociology and women's studies.