Abstract
AbstractDevelopment programmes tackling severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children tend to try to replace traditional beliefs with biomedical knowledge. However, stigmatization associated with undernutrition may be an additional impediment to seeking assistance. Drawing on the concepts of cognitive polyphasia and of othering, this study explored how different types of knowledge are used simultaneously in order to maintain a sense of otherness from the undernourished child in Nepal. A lexicometric analysis of answers to open‐ended questions in a survey of villagers (N = 376) conducted in two Nepalese districts indicated three patterns of representations of children with SAM. The analysis revealed that cognitive polyphasia can take various forms (hybridization, selective prevalence or displacement), which both shape and are shaped by different ways of establishing otherness from the undernourished child. Taken together, these results allow a better understanding of the meaning of villagers' health advice regarding undernutrition and provide new avenues for implementing nutrition‐related programmes. On a theoretical level, these results go beyond a simple statement of the plurality of knowledge, considering cognitive polyphasia as a relational outcome.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
