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Traditional healing, higher education, autonomy and hardship: coping paths of Palestinian women in Israel

2012; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 18; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/13537121.2012.659080

1743-9086

Ariela Popper‐Giveon, Naomi Weiner‐Levy,

Middle East Politics and Society

Abstract This article presents two coping paths available to Palestinian women in Israel today – turning to a traditional healer in the community, an act that represents turning ‘inwards’, and pursuing higher education, an act that represents turning ‘outwards’. These two paths enable coping – particularly in times of societal transition – and provide opportunities for the women who utilize them. On the other hand, each of these paths is laden with unique challenges and the women who take them must often pay a price. Despite the differences between them, the article reflects the similar ramifications of these coping paths on the women's lives. Keywords: copingDruze womenBedouin womentraditional healinghigher education Notes 1. The Palestinian traditional woman healer in Israel (sheikhah, darvisha, hajah, fataha) by and large treats physical ailments to which conventional medicine does not offer a solution (such as chronic diseases), childhood diseases and problems relating to sex and fertility. The traditional healer also treats emotional problems such as depression and anxiety as well as life's hardships: problems relating to livelihood, family and marital conflicts. Usually, the woman healer explains such problems as deriving from supernatural causes such as the evil eye (ein el hasood), witchcraft (sihr) or possession (jinn). She treats the problems using various methods: amulets (hijab), chanting of Koranic verses, witchcraft, medicinal herbs and massage. See Ariela Popper-Giveon and Jonathan Ventura, “Claiming Power through Hardship: Initiation Narratives of Palestinian Traditional Women Healers in Israel,” Social Science and Medicine 67 (2008), 1807–1816. 2. The Palestinian traditional woman healer in Israel (sheikhah, darvisha, hajah, fataha) by and large treats physical ailments to which conventional medicine does not offer a solution (such as chronic diseases), childhood diseases and problems relating to sex and fertility. The traditional healer also treats emotional problems such as depression and anxiety as well as life's hardships: problems relating to livelihood, family and marital conflicts. Usually, the woman healer explains such problems as deriving from supernatural causes such as the evil eye (ein el hasood), witchcraft (sihr) or possession (jinn). She treats the problems using various methods: amulets (hijab), chanting of Koranic verses, witchcraft, medicinal herbs and massage. See Ariela Popper-Giveon and Jonathan Ventura, “Claiming Power through Hardship: Initiation Narratives of Palestinian Traditional Women Healers in Israel,” Social Science and Medicine 67 (2008)., 1808. 3. 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