Search

The new modernization theory has suggested that the pervasiveness of traditional values has a clear impact on the quality of democratic governance. In this contribution to this special issue on the political consequences of traditional beliefs, we explore whether and to what extent the pervasiveness of traditional values and beliefs has a detectable impact on authoritarian attitudes. Specifically, we analyze the relationship between the support for a "strongman" and the acceptability of traditional practices for Muslim respondents from 27 jurisdictions. The results suggest that those who believe that traditional practices, such as the use of sorcery, appealing to jinn, and to the souls of ancestors, are acceptable under Islam are more likely to prefer a strongman to democracy. Notably, we found that respondents' religiosity does not significantly affect their support for a strongman, raising questions about how accurately traditionality has been measured so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 50 million people of all ages have epilepsy and nearly 85% of whom live in low‐ and middle‐income (LMICs) countries. In Morocco, epilepsy is one of the major neurological health conditions, with an estimated prevalence of 1.1%. The management of patients is difficult due to multiple factors. The lack of neurologists whose number is currently 180, the uneven distribution of neurologists who are concentrated in large cities, 43% of whom are in Rabat and Casablanca alone; the low involvement of general practitioners in the management of epilepsy; the frequent consultation of traditional healers; and the low coverage of social security all contribute to the treatment gap. The management of epilepsy has advanced considerably since the early nineties. Several factors contributed to this progress: the increasing number of neurologists compared to previous years, the creation of well‐equipped new academic centers, and small units of general neurology, in addition to the disuse of several antiepileptic drugs. However, much work remains to be done against the use of many forms of traditional practices and the low involvement of general practitioners in the management of epilepsy. This is the first study on epilepsy conducted in Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professionals working in a multicultural society must be sensitive to diverse cultural approaches to child-rearing and be able to distinguish between those traditions that can cause harm and ones which positively enhance the child's cultural identity. This can be helped by viewing childcare practices on a continuum ranging from those that are unequivocally harmful, e.g. female circumcision, and therefore legitimate targets for abolition to those which, because of their benefits, deserve to be actively preserved and promoted. Most traditional practices encountered in the UK are between these two extremes, but can be positively or negatively influenced by local knowledge and attitudes. A West African culture is used to provide specific examples and to illustrate a framework based on the continuum. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract One of the main sessions at the 2001 22nd Quadrennial Congress of the International Council of Nurses in Denmark explored the harnessing of modern health technologies for contemporary health care. The session theme of ‘marrying the old and the new’ is particularly important in societies where modern medicine and technology coexist with traditional approaches to health care; in this instance, its coexistence with traditional medicine in African societies. This coexistence has not been easy for many African countries. For some, overt exclusion from health care systems through prohibitive legislation has become the order of the day for traditional practitioners. On the other hand, there has been an increasing interest in traditional practices among modern health practitioners and a willingness to collaborate. Similarly, traditional practitioners are slowly beginning to incorporate aspects of modern medicine into their practice; notably the use of science and technology. This report describes the interface of modern medicine and technologies with traditional approaches to health care. Benefits and concerns raised by genetic, information, solar and environmental technologies at this interface, are discussed. Selected traditions and the challenges these bring to the practice arena, research, education and policy, are presented together with suggestions to reconcile old and new. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Traditional management of fire in the world's savannas is of vital interest for contemporary management. This paper reviews the nineteenth century literature on Aboriginal application of fire in the Northern Territory of northern Australia, and relates the other studies of the historical record for the whole savanna region of northern Australia. The aim is to provide a comprehensive picture of historical traditional fire practices. Location Northern Australia tropical (monsoonal) savanna region. Methods All available journals of explorers in the nineteenth century in the Northern Territory were reviewed and analysed. Results Twenty-five explorers' journals were identified and reviewed. Fifteen yielded information on aboriginal use of fire. Two hundred and six observations were recorded in the journals. Of these, 100 were of active landscape fires and fifty-two were of burnt landscapes. Other observations were discarded as they did not contribute to the understanding of traditional use of fire. The results were generally consistent with other studies completed in Queensland and Western Australia. Main conclusions The historical record shows that Aboriginal people in the `Top End' of the Northern Territory of Australia commenced burning early in the dry season, within weeks of the last rains, and continued throughout the dry season. Burning stopped only when the wet season rains prevented further burning. Little if any wet season burning was carried out. This picture is at variance with a previous historical study for the Northern Territory, but consistent with that for the whole northern Australian savannas using equivalent historical sources. The findings are important for ecological management of the savannas of northern Australia. Recent deleterious changes to the biota and landscape have been attributed to recent changes from traditional fire regimes. A reinstatement of traditional practices is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure from the state government to abandon shifting cultivation and of the market to increase the production of cash crops are causing not simply a reduction in the practice of shifting cultivation in Sabah, Malaysia but marked alterations in the way many remote communities grow hill rice. Many traditional practices have been abandoned including the substitution of cash payments for community labour co-operation (gotong-royong), the use of traditional methods to monitor soil fertility such as maintaining fallow periods and the selection of appropriate hill rice varieties. The result has been a reduction in labour input, a shortage of land, continuous production, increased used of weedicides and a general failure to continue sustainable agricultural practices. Despite state incentives to abandon the practice the pressure to maintain real incomes among the rural communities has meant a continuation of the practice of shifting cultivation but under conditions which are now resulting in land degradation, slope instability and soil infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]