Health Care in Maya Guatemala: Confronting Medical Pluralism in a Developing Country

Health Care in Maya Guatemala examines medical systems and institutions in three K'iche' Maya communities to reveal the conflicts between indigenous medical care and Guatemalan biomedical system. The editors and contributors show how people in this rapidly modernizing society think about traditional practices--and reveal that health conditions in traditional communities deteriorate over time as long-standing medical practices erode in the face of Western encroachment.

The contributors first consider cultural, institutional, and behavioral aspects of health care in Guatemala. Then they look closely at the nature and treatment of specific health issues, such as dentistry and mental health--especially depression. Finally they provide new insight on midwifery, nutrition, ethnomedicine, and other topics.