CONCEPTS OF SICKNESS AND HEALTH IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN SOUTH AFRICA A SEMIOTIC APPROACH
The author argues that the different approaches to reality conditioned by the Western Enlightenment world view on the one hand, and African culture on the other, have caused serious problems in the intercultural communication about sickness and health in South Africa. He argues for a semiotic approa...
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| Medienart: | Elektronisch Aufsatz |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
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| Veröffentlicht: |
ASRSA
1992
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| In: |
Journal for the study of religion
Jahr: 1992, Band: 5, Heft: 2, Seiten: 31-46 |
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Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallele Ausgabe: | Nicht-Elektronisch
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| Zusammenfassung: | The author argues that the different approaches to reality conditioned by the Western Enlightenment world view on the one hand, and African culture on the other, have caused serious problems in the intercultural communication about sickness and health in South Africa. He argues for a semiotic approach to intercultural communication, as proposed especially by Robert Schreiter. According to Schreiter's approach, culture is viewed as 'a vast communication network, whereby both verbal and nonverbal messages are circulated along elaborate, interconnected pathways, which, together, create the system of meaning' (Schreiter 1985: 49). The bearers of messages within a culture are the important signs which embody the identity of the bearers of that culture. The author then attempts to identify the important signs about sickness and health in both Western and African cultures, and indicates the severe tensions which exist in the communication process between the two cultures. He concludes by advocating a process of acceptance and open co-operation between Western biomedicine and African traditional healers as the only way in which the tensions can be resolved, but also as a necessary correction to the one-sidedness of Western biomedicine. |
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| ISSN: | 2413-3027 |
| Enthält: | Enthalten in: Journal for the study of religion
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