Abstract: The focus of this discourse is to construct an understanding of cultural beliefs and practices on the influence and spread of corona virus as viewed from lenses of medical sociology. This review starts from the premise that we need a sociology of health agenda to manage the corona virus epidemic. The study points to the fact that cultural beliefs are an unsung aspect in our understanding of the sociology of health particularly in the management of corona virus despite the role of describing social behavior in other disciplines, including utilization of medicine itself. Some cultural fanatics among the Bakiga hold several casual beliefs that Corona Virus is a disease of the West (most developed countries) and therefore, Africans are an exception. Another competing belief is that most Africans have endured harsh conditions which made them develop immunity against the virus. Another argument is that Africans have been infected by flu and common cold and therefore, their body has requisite immunity to fight COVID 19.Culture in health interventions seems to have three domains of health beliefs and behavior that should be taken into account: (1) Cultural Identity, (2) Relationships and Expectations, and (3) Cultural Empowerment. It is essential to maximize the wealth of experience that emerges both from anthropological and sociological analysis of epidemic responses in different contexts for similar airborne diseases, including historical analyses. Although the socio-cultural practices of the Bakiga highlighted in this work have been shown to contribute to the spread of COVID 19, any future efforts to eradicate and/or contain these outbreaks should also include the medical sociologist on the African continent as the dearth of them was the main structural contributor to the course of the pandemic.
Keywords: Cultural beliefs, Practices, Management of corona Virus, Medical sociology.
Title: INFLUENCE OF BAKIGA CULTURAL BELIEFS AND PRACTICES ON MANAGEMENT OF CORONA VIRUS: IMPLICATIONS FOR MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY
Author: Nareeba Peter
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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