Conceptualisation of Health and Illness

The present article attempts to understand the relationship between culture and health through an empirical investigation of health and illness conceptualisation among the members of Bondo tribe of Orissa in India. The investigation of socio-cultural definitions and meanings of health and illness was done using the social representations framework. The dynamic nature of health and illness conceptualisation was investigated among the three groups of Bondos: The upper, isolated group; middle, partially assimilated group; and lower assimilated group. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and focus group discussions. Qualitative content analysis of responses was done in order to extract the meaning of categories employed by the three groups of Bondos. The content of these categories reflected the content of the social representations of health and illness among the Bondos. The categories employed by the Bondos for sense-making of health and illness states revealed the meanings of health and illness, beliefs regarding causes of illness, healing practices and treatment pattern and the difference in meanings and definitions of health and illness among the three groups of Bondos.