Saka: A Culture-Specific Disorder in Malaysia and its Emic and Etic Patterns

Abstract

Saka is a medical disorder that can be found in the Malay-speaking world of Malaysia and Indonesia. The researchers focused on the Malaysian state of Kelantan, which is located on the East coast of Malaysia. There is not much literature available that looks into that phenomenon. In this article, the research team wants to illustrate this disorder both from an etic and emic point of view. The consideration of different perspectives helps to get a holistic picture. The emic viewpoint documents the folk beliefs, while the etic view looks into the scientific discussions. Furthermore, it is discussed whether saka can be considered as a Culture-Bound Syndrom (CBS). The research team followed a qualitative approach which should complete the picture. Unstructured interviews were conducted in which the respondents had the opportunity to explain their perspective about saka. It was discovered that saka has unique features and is closely interwoven to the Malay culture.