Beliefs and Practices of the Nuer Community Towards “Mokism” and Monorchidism in Wanthoaar Woreda and Itang Special Woreda, Gambella Region
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2017-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study was conducted in Nuer community in Itang special woreda and
Wanthoaar woreda, Gambella region on “Beliefs and Practices of the Nuer Community
towards “Mokism” and Monorchidism”. The study has used qualitative method with
purposive and snowball techniques to collect relevant data. The tools used for data
collection were semi-structured and unstructured interview with opened-ended questions.
Study respondents were 28 (M = 23, F = 5); meaning, 4 community elders, 2 traditional
healers, 1 lord of the land, 2 youth with inborn monorchidism, 1 non-disabled youth, 8
religious leaders, and 10 health professionals. The main objective of this study was to
explore traditional beliefs about the community thinks causes inborn “Mokism”,
Monorchidism, and Acquired Monorchidism as well as the applied cultural practices
towards persons with these mentioned conditions in the Nuer community. Results
obtained from respondents on traditional beliefs about the causes of both inborn
“mokism” and monorchidism have fallen under three major sources of beliefs about
disability in general: Traditional animalism, Christianity fatalism, and Medical
determinism, respectively. Eighteen respondents on “mokism” followed by ten 10
respondents on monorchidism, have said that both inborn conditions are caused by
“cultural-related factors” (traditional animalism), followed by medical determinism with
12 & 6 respondents for inborn monorchidism and “mokism”, respectively, and finally,
Christian fatalism with 6 & 4 respondents for inborn monorchidism and “mokism”
respectively). Study results (findings) have been analyzed using descriptive/narrative
method. In general, study results have shown that traditonal beliefs about the causes of
inborn disabilities are still predominant in the Nuer community. Though explanations on
the causes of inborn conditions differ considerably, the results indicated that Nuer
community believes their victims “possess” evil spirits, supernatural powers, and killing
spirits/powers that can hurt or possibly kill non-disabled community members. In
addition, the results have shown that the community has “unique” traditional healing
rituals for both inborn victims performed by local traditional healers and lords of the
land (leopard skin chiefs) on the one hand, and “simple” to “serious” harmful cultural
practices such as “Extermination of Victims”, on the other. According to the study
results, most of harmful cultural practices performed on the victims of inborn disabilities
directly stemmed from the prevalent negative traditional perceptions and beliefs towards
them on the account that the victims possess “perceieved” evil or killing spirits and,
supernatural powers
Description
Keywords
Monorchidism in Wanthoaar Woreda and Itang Special Woreda,