Etnografinis požiūris į kultūrines „sveikatos“ sampratas tarp tradiciškumo ir vėlyvojo modernumo

The aim of the thesis is to present the interplay of individual worldviews and health related preferences and among the supporters of unconventional (but not limited to) healing. Objectives are: a) to present the understandings of ‘health’, b) to explore the attitudes towards illness, c) to study the position of an individual in order to achieve better health or well-being, d) to discuss the reasons of preferences (or choices in the context of Late Modernity (i.e. possibility to choose health care services) and traditionality (how ‘traditionality’ is understood and perceived in the context of ‘health’, etno and folk medicine). Research data and methodology. An anthropological (ethnographic) field study (2016-2020) was conducted, during which thirty semi-structured interviews with supporters of unconventional (but not limited to) healing were conducted. Interview duration: 1 – 2.5 hours. The texts are structured according to the topics that emerged. The phenomenon is interpreted in the so-called ‘emic’ (‘from within’, 'insider's) perspective of sociocultural anthropology (Mostowlansky, Rota, 2020, Kottak, 2020, Marvin Harris). Results. The ill person is positioned as a proactive individual, who should be responsible for his/her own condition/illness/health. For bettering one's health, individuals try to improve themselves, engage in self-knowledge: read books, visit seminars, choose to eat healthy food, and similar. Responsibility is taken as a key element for the right steps towards improving one's health condition(s). Subjective ‘health’ perceptions and health related preferences demonstrated the economic, social and cultural possibilities of a person of late modernity to choose health services according to his or her individual worldview. In some cases, ‘Traditionality’ in Late Modernity functions as an element of exoticism, enriching some health-related practices with additional cultural value.