LE3 .A278 2005

2005

Auger, Jeanette

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

Sociology

Sociology

In developed countries, alternative medicine use is a growing social phenomenon that attracts a greater percentage of women than men. To gain a better appreciation of the trend, this thesis presents a critical analysis of current feminist and sociological literature in regard to conventional and alternative medicine utilization. The theoretical focus is on the body, emotion and lived experience in relation to holistic health. This qualitative study is meshed in a feminist, corporeal, phenomenological approach to the embodiment of twenty-one Nova Scotia females. The methodology involves a variety of techniques including: literature critique; semi-structured interviews; focus group discussions; and as a supplement to these, a naturopathic doctor questionnaire. The thesis shows that women choose to use naturopathic medicine for a variety of reasons, but underlying these motivations is a perceived sense of need. This situates women in a paradoxical space, for although this choice is in itself a form of agency, within the current allopathic model such action is disempowering.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2785