CULTURAL MODELS OF INFANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

[Planas Mariela]

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>Hi there. I just found out about this list and guess what? Yes, I need some

>help. But wait. Let me introduce me. My name is Mariela Planas. I am a

>medical anthropologist now working on a NGO called AB Prisma. I am designing

>a research proposal about emic views of infant growth and development in a

>squatter settlement in Lima, Peru. Using a framework developed by INECOM

>(International Network for Ethno-Epidemiology and Community Mental Health)

>for studying mental health problems(1) we seek to understand the Systems of

>Signs, Meanings ans Actions (2) related to, what from the profesional

>semiological model would correspond to malnutrition. We are interested in

>identifying how the community perceive and intepret the signs related to

>malnutrition. Actually, it is much more complicated because first of all we

>would like to elicit from the community members a popular semiology about

>what is considered abnormal infant development, and from there, see if there

>is any reference to a malnutrition sign or problem. In fact, we are not sure

>if the population recognizes a close relationship between feeding patterns

>and health, or how these notions are integrated in a general framework about

>normal infant development.  

>I was wondering if in the last years there has been any attempt to research

>about emic views of growth and development. Actually, the only reference I

>have is  an article published in 1980 by Gretel Pelto (3) suggesting the

>relevance of such studies. Please, I would be grateful if  you can send me

>any information about this or if you would like to share with me some ideas

>about it. 

>Thanks

>

>Maria Elena

>

>(1) ) See Corin, E., G. Bibeau, JC Martin and R. Laplante (1990) Comprendre

>pour soigner autrement. Reperes pour regionaliser les services de sante

>mentale. Les Presses de l'Universite de Montreal, Montreal

>(2)  Inecom (1993) The international Network for Cultural Epidemiology and

>Community Mental Health, The Montreal WHO Collaborative Centre for Research

>and Training in Mental Health, Montreal.

>(3) Pelto, Gretel (1980) Cultural Issues and Child Health and Nutrition. Soc.

>Sci. Med., 25(6): 553-559.

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