scholarly journals Traditional medicinal knowledge and practices among the tribal communities of Thakht-e-Sulaiman Hills, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Ahmad ◽  
Mushtaq Ahmad ◽  
Franz K. Huber ◽  
Caroline S. Weckerle
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Musculoskeletal Diseases ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Materia Medica ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Local Practices ◽  
Western Border

Abstract Background Little is known about the medical material and practices of tribes in the western border areas of Pakistan. The local population has inhabited this remote and isolated area for centuries, and gained medicinal knowledge with personal experiences and knowledge learned from forefathers. Due to the geographical isolation of the communities in the Sulaiman hills of Pakistan and their unique culture, the area is of importance for exploration and assessment. Methods A total of 116 informants were interviewed in five foothill villages and the associated migratory mountain villages during 2010–2012 and 2015. Information was gathered mainly through semi-structured interviews and freelisting. Local diseases were categorized based on symptoms and affected organs. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results Depending on the type of illness, typically a pulse diagnoser or a religious specialist is consulted. Medicinal plant knowledge and use is mostly known and advised by elders within the family. A total of 44 plant species from 32 families (588 use reports), 7 animal species and 6 minerals and other sources (384 use reports) were documented as materia medica. Among the plants, the Lamiaceae is the most dominantly used plant family, followed by Pinaceae. The most frequently reported single species was Teucrium stocksianum. The most often mentioned diseases and treatments fall into the categories of gastrointestinal, ritual, and musculoskeletal diseases. The use of goat and sheep skin as medicine was pivotal in the local medicinal system. Remedies from animal parts and other biological and non-biological sources were mainly used for musculoskeletal ailments and ritual treatments. Overall, people rely on both traditional and biomedical medication and treatments and combination of these systems. Conclusion This paper provides insight into the pluralistic medication system of rural communities of northwest Pakistan. It highlights the materia medica most commonly in use. A considerable part of the documented materia medica and local practices is part of an oral tradition and cannot be found in written sources or scientific articles. The gaining of new medicinal knowledge in the area was the good sign of continuation of traditional medicinal practices.

scholarly journals An ethnobotanical survey of spontaneous plants used in traditional medicine in the region of Aures, Algeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karim Baziz ◽  
Rim Tinhinene Maougal ◽  
Abdelkader Amroune
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Single Species ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Ethnobotanical Survey ◽  
Medicinal Species ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Digestive Disorders ◽  
Mode Of Transmission

This study carried out in the Aures region (Algeria) between September 2018 and March 2019, allowed us to identify spontaneous plants used in the region and gather all the information concerning the therapeutic practices of the local population. Based on a series of ethnobotanical surveys, we have identified 112 medicinal species belonging to 49 families, of which Asteraceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae and Cupressaceae are the most represented. The leaves were the most used plant parts (28.86%), and the decoction (37.68%) represents the most frequently used mode of preparation. In addition, the remedies were prepared essentially from single species (81.15%) and were used mainly in the treatment of digestive disorders (23.99%). The study has also shown that women, married people, the elderly and illiterates people had the better knowledge of the use of medicinal plants. These results indicate that local population has a fairly deep empirical and traditional knowledge of phytotherapy. However, this knowledge is endangered mainly because of the mode of transmission which is based on oral tradition and an urgent transcription is needed to avoid the loss of this heritage.

scholarly journals Adaptive Capacity to Climate Variability in Three Rural Communities atSierra de San Pedro Martir

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Itzel González Ornelas ◽  
Gabriela Muñoz Meléndez
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
National Park ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
San Pedro

Climate change adaptation has multiple definitions, to have a reference conceptual framework we understand it as the reduction of vulnerability to climate variability. This paper’s objective was to assess the adaptive capacity and response to climate variability in three rural communities at Sierra de San Pedro Martir National Park. We applied discourse analysis and non-participatory observation. As for data collecting, we carried out structured interviews during community workshops and semi-structured ones to external stakeholders. Results show that communities recognized droughts as the most important climate phenomenon, given that it impacts their economic activities and daily life alike. But inhabitants did not associate water availability to environmental services provided by the National Park. Our main contribution was modifying the methodological tool. Conclusions indicate that adaptive responses are associated with social characteristics of the local population and their strategies diversity. The public institutions’ role in rural adaptation was not addressed in-depth.

scholarly journals “My coupons are like gold”: experiences and perceived outcomes of low-income adults participating in the British Columbia Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Stéphanie Caron-Roy ◽  
Sayeeda Amber Sayed ◽  
Katrina Milaney ◽  
Bonnie Lashewicz ◽  
Sharlette Dunn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Qualitative Description ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Farmers Market

ABSTRACT Objective: The British Columbia Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program (FMNCP) provides low-income households with coupons valued at $21/week for 16 weeks to purchase healthy foods in farmers’ markets. Our objective was to explore FMNCP participants’ experiences of accessing nutritious foods, and perceived program outcomes. Design: This study used qualitative description methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with FMNCP participants during the 2019 farmers’ market season. Directed content analysis was used to analyse the data whereby the five domains of Freedman et al’s framework of nutritious food access provided the basis for an initial coding scheme. Data that did not fit within the framework’s domains were coded inductively. Setting: One urban and two rural communities in British Columbia, Canada. Participants: 28 adults who were participating in the FMNCP. Results: Three themes emerged: Autonomy and Dignity; Social Connections and Community Building; and Environmental and Programmatic Constraints. Firstly, the program promoted a sense of autonomy and dignity through financial support, increased access to high-quality produce, food-related education and skill development, and mitigating stigma and shame. Secondly, shopping in farmers’ markets increased social connections and fostered a sense of community. Finally, participants experienced limited food variety in rural farmers’ markets, lack of transportation, and challenges with redeeming coupons. Conclusions: Participation in the FMNCP facilitated access to nutritious foods and enhanced participants’ diet quality, well-being and health. Strategies such as increasing the amount and duration of subsidies, and expanding programs may help improve participants’ experiences and outcomes of farmers’ market food subsidy programs.

scholarly journals Educational Intervention to Improve Citizen’s Healthcare Participation Perception in Rural Japanese Communities: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1782
Author(s):  
Ryuichi Ohta ◽  
Yoshinori Ryu ◽  
Jun Kitayuguchi ◽  
Chiaki Sano ◽  
Karen D. Könings
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Medical Professionals ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Japanese Elderly

In this mixed-methods study, we hypothesized that social cognitive theory (SCT)-based educational interventions for healthcare participation can improve the self-efficacy of older rural citizens in participating in their health management without any difficulties. Quasi-experimental study before and after SCT-based educational interventions and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Participants were Japanese elderly (>65 years) from rural communities. Propensity score matching was performed to estimate the effectiveness of educational interventions on participants’ perception (intervention: n = 156; control: n = 121). Interview contents were transcribed verbatim and analyzed based on thematic analysis. The intervention group scored significantly higher than the control group for participation in planning and managing self-care. Interviews revealed three themes: ability to manage health conditions, relationship with medical professionals, and relationship among citizens. Participants reported difficulties in judging symptoms and communicating with medical professionals. Hierarchy and low motivation to participate in healthcare hindered collaboration. The findings suggest that SCT-based educational interventions can positively impact rural citizens’ self-efficacy in healthcare participation.

scholarly journals Ethnobotanical biocultural diversity by rural communities in the Cuatrociénegas Valley, Coahuila; Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Estrada-Castillón ◽  
José Ángel Villarreal-Quintanilla ◽  
Juan Antonio Encina-Domínguez ◽  
Enrique Jurado-Ybarra ◽  
Luis Gerardo Cuéllar-Rodríguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Larrea Tridentata ◽  
Biocultural Diversity ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Biosphere Reserves ◽  
Rural Landscapes

Abstract Background Cuatrociénegas, part of the Chihuahuan Desert, is a region of unique biological, geological, geographical, and evolutionary importance. Its current population is mestizo; nevertheless, it has high national historical, cultural, and touristic relevance in Mexico. It has been cataloged as nationally significant for its flora and fauna by Mexican law, as well as being designated a High Protection site by the World Wildlife Fund and UNESCO. Because of its diverse and complex biological and sociocultural characteristics, we considered it important to determine, identify, and analyze various aspects of the traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and practices in this region. Methods Between 2016 and 2019, seven field trips were made to document the knowledge and use of flora. Cuatrociénegas is a protected area, collecting botanical material is regulated, so specimens were photographed and collected in neighboring communities, and in public and private gardens. Later permission was obtained to complete the collection of specimens (2019–2020). The plants were identified and entered into the flora database of the state of Coahuila, and deposited in the Herbarium of the Faculty of Forest Sciences, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Mexico. One hundred ten local residents (50 men and 60 women), aged between 27 and 91 years, were interviewed (semi-structured interviews). The cultural importance of ethnobotanical resources (cultural significance index) and its significance with respect to ethnobotanical richness in other Biosphere Reserves in Mexico (Mann-Whitney test), and similarities in the diversity of exotic species (Sørensen index) were studied. Results and discussion The ethnobotanical information registers 158 species and 132 genera in 57 vascular and non-vascular families, documenting a greater knowledge and use of cultivated species (84) with respect to wild species (74). The diversity of plants reported is compared to other ethnobotanical studies carried out in Mexican Biosphere Reserves. These results are highly relevant, in spite of unique exotic species. The people local pay special attention to medicinal and ornamental plants. The species that presented the highest use values are Larrea tridentata, Jatropha dioica, and Machaeranthera pinnatifida, three species characteristic of the desert region. Conclusions The particular diversity of wild flora in Cuatrociénegas Valley, combined with the varied introduced flora, is an important multifunctional resource. Special attention to introduced species is associated with harvesting use restrictions in the protected area as well as the high value of ornamental species that are difficult to maintain in desert areas. The extensive use of ethnobotanical knowledge is an example that biocultural diversity (at the conceptual level) is also strongly associated with socio-ecological systems incorporating mestizo groups and semi-urban rural landscapes, thus ceasing to be an exclusive focus of indigenous communities and regions.

Rural Neighborhood Walkability: Implications for Assessment

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (s1) ◽  
pp. S40-S45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle C. Kegler ◽  
Iris Alcantara ◽  
Regine Haardörfer ◽  
Alexandra Gemma ◽  
Denise Ballard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Walking Distance ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Neighborhood Walkability ◽  
Bodies Of Water ◽  
Active Adults

Background:Physical activity levels, including walking, are lower in the southern U.S., particularly in rural areas. This study investigated the concept of rural neighborhood walkability to aid in developing tools for assessing walkability and to identify intervention targets in rural communities.Methods:Semi-structured interviews were conducted with physically active adults (n = 29) in rural Georgia. Mean age of participants was 55.9 years; 66% were male, 76% were white, and 24% were African American. Participants drew maps of their neighborhoods and discussed the relevance of typical domains of walkability to their decisions to exercise. Comparative analyses were conducted to identify major themes.Results:The majority felt the concept of neighborhood was applicable and viewed their neighborhood as small geographically (less than 0.5 square miles). Sidewalks were not viewed as essential for neighborhood-based physical activity and typical destinations for walking were largely absent. Destinations within walking distance included neighbors’ homes and bodies of water. Views were mixed on whether shade, safety, dogs, and aesthetics affected decisions to exercise in their neighborhoods.Conclusions:Measures of neighborhood walkability in rural areas should acknowledge the small size of self-defined neighborhoods, that walking in rural areas is likely for leisure time exercise, and that some domains may not be relevant.

scholarly journals A metric-based assessment of flood risk and vulnerability of rural communities in the Lower Shire Valley, Malawi

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 ◽  
pp. 139-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Adeloye ◽  
F. D. Mwale ◽  
Z. Dulanya
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Flood Depth ◽  
Inundation Area ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract. In response to the increasing frequency and economic damages of natural disasters globally, disaster risk management has evolved to incorporate risk assessments that are multi-dimensional, integrated and metric-based. This is to support knowledge-based decision making and hence sustainable risk reduction. In Malawi and most of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), however, flood risk studies remain focussed on understanding causation, impacts, perceptions and coping and adaptation measures. Using the IPCC Framework, this study has quantified and profiled risk to flooding of rural, subsistent communities in the Lower Shire Valley, Malawi. Flood risk was obtained by integrating hazard and vulnerability. Flood hazard was characterised in terms of flood depth and inundation area obtained through hydraulic modelling in the valley with Lisflood-FP, while the vulnerability was indexed through analysis of exposure, susceptibility and capacity that were linked to social, economic, environmental and physical perspectives. Data on these were collected through structured interviews of the communities. The implementation of the entire analysis within GIS enabled the visualisation of spatial variability in flood risk in the valley. The results show predominantly medium levels in hazardousness, vulnerability and risk. The vulnerability is dominated by a high to very high susceptibility. Economic and physical capacities tend to be predominantly low but social capacity is significantly high, resulting in overall medium levels of capacity-induced vulnerability. Exposure manifests as medium. The vulnerability and risk showed marginal spatial variability. The paper concludes with recommendations on how these outcomes could inform policy interventions in the Valley.

scholarly journals Traditional Free-Ranging Livestock Farming as a Management Strategy for Biological and Cultural Landscape Diversity: A Case from the Southern Apennines

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 957
Author(s):  
Claudia Troiano ◽  
Maria Buglione ◽  
Simona Petrelli ◽  
Sofia Belardinelli ◽  
Antonino De Natale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Southern Apennines ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Managed Landscapes ◽  
Free Ranging

Mediterranean mountain landscapes are undergoing a widespread phenomenon of abandonment. This brings, as a consequence, the loss of traditional land use practices, such as transhumant pastoralism, as well as shrub and wood encroachment, with repercussions on the biodiversity associated with semi-open, human-managed landscapes. In this study, we focus on a mountain pasture from the Southern Apennines (Italy), where free-ranging transhumant grazing is still carried out, to quantify the effects of grazing presence and exclusion on arthropod diversity, and to qualitatively characterize the plant communities of grazed and ungrazed areas. Using field sampling, remote sensing, and semi-structured interviews, we assessed the validity of traditional cattle farming as a landscape management tool. Indeed, high diversity grasslands excluded from grazing were characterized by significantly less even and more dominated arthropod communities, as well as fewer plant species and families. Moreover, in areas that have been consistently grazed over the years, we found no forest encroachment from 1955 to 2019. However, rural communities are experiencing difficulties in keeping local traditions alive, even with current agri-environmental schemes. Thus, traditional livestock grazing can be a valuable management tool to maintain high biological and cultural diversity, even if stronger cooperation and attention to local needs is necessary.

scholarly journals Local plant knowledge and its variation among farmer’s families in the Napf region, Switzerland

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Poncet ◽  
Christoph Schunko ◽  
Christian R. Vogl ◽  
Caroline S. Weckerle
Keyword(s):  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Specialized Knowledge ◽  
Grassland Species ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Cultural Domain ◽  
Knowledge Variation

Abstract Background Local plant knowledge typically is unevenly distributed within a community. This knowledge variation is important in understanding people’s relationship with their environment. Here we ask about knowledge variation among farmers’ families in the Napf region of Switzerland. Methods In 2008 and 2009, 60 adults and children living on 14 farms were interviewed about known and used plant species, and the data analyzed for knowledge variation. The farms were chosen by random stratified sampling, and freelisting and semi-structured interviews were conducted individually in the local idiom. The data were organized in an access database and analyzed with descriptive statistics, correlations, Mann–Whitney U tests and cultural domain analysis. Results Totally, 456 folk taxa were listed, whereas frequently listed species are common meadow and forest species. Uses were indicated for 391 taxa, most of them culinary, followed by fodder, wood, medicinal and ornamental uses. Local plant knowledge correlates with age and gender. Due to professional specialization, adults above 20 years have broader plant knowledge than children and adolescents. This is true for almost all examined habitat and plant use categories except for toy uses. Women and men share a common body of plant knowledge especially about herbaceous grassland species and woody species. Specialized knowledge of men is linked to cattle fodder and the processing of wood, specialized knowledge of women concerns edible, medicinal and ornamental plants, often garden species, but also herbaceous forest species. Conclusion In a rural region like the Napf, people retain a solid basis of plant knowledge. The variation of plant knowledge within farmers’ families of this region reflects sociocultural patterns. As these patterns are changing and as (agro)biodiversity is declining, local plant knowledge in the Napf region is suspected to undergo a mainstreaming process.

‘Stirring and advancing times’: Landlords, Agents and Improvement on the Castle Howard Estate, 1826–66

2018 ◽  
pp. 19-38
Author(s):  
David Gent
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Technical Change ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Victorian Culture ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
The Social ◽  
Moral Condition

This essay explores the career of John Henderson, land agent to the Earls of Carlisle at their Castle Howard estate in Yorkshire between 1827 and the late 1860s. In recent scholarship, historians have increasingly begun to appreciate the importance of land agents in nineteenth-century rural life. It is now evident that agents, as intermediaries between landowners, their tenants and the wider local population, were deeply involved in the social relationships of rural communities. Making use of the voluminous and well-preserved estate records, the essay complements such studies by emphasising the multi-faceted nature of Henderson’s role in the Castle Howard district. It will particularly focus on Henderson’s role as a facilitator of social, economic and technical change. Under the active encouragement of the 7th Earl of Carlisle, a noted liberal politician and reformer, Henderson not only introduced a range of agricultural improvements to the estate, but also a large number of projects aimed at improving the social, economic and moral condition of its population. In doing so, the essay shows that landed estates - and land agents - may have played no less an important part than urban areas in the Victorian culture of 'progress': in participating in what the 7th Earl described as 'stirring and advancing times'.

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