Healthcare-seeking behavior among the indigenous Orang Asli community : an ethnographic story /
This case study draws from an ethnographic research project exploring healthcare-seeking behaviors among the indigenous Orang Asli Bateq community in Kuala Koh, Kelantan, Malaysia. The original study aimed to understand how cultural beliefs, traditional practices, and social structures influence dec...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
London :
SAGE Publications Ltd,
2026.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | This case study draws from an ethnographic research project exploring healthcare-seeking behaviors among the indigenous Orang Asli Bateq community in Kuala Koh, Kelantan, Malaysia. The original study aimed to understand how cultural beliefs, traditional practices, and social structures influence decisions to seek formal or informal healthcare. Through a combination of participant observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and documentary analysis, the research provided rich insights into the community's navigation of illness, healing, and engagement with biomedical services. This case focuses on the practical and methodological challenges of conducting qualitative community-based research in a remote and culturally distinct setting. It highlights how research tools and protocols such as consent procedures, sampling strategies, and interview techniques had to be adapted to accommodate local realities including low literacy, mistrust of outsiders, and the gendered dynamics of communication. The case also reflects on the importance of flexibility, reflexivity, and community engagement in building trust and ensuring ethical practice. Students reading this case will gain a grounded understanding of how to plan and adapt ethnographic research methods for indigenous or rural communities. They will learn how to anticipate field-based ethical and logistical challenges, navigate power dynamics, and co-create knowledge in respectful, culturally sensitive ways. The lessons shared are transferable to a wide range of qualitative health research projects, particularly those involving marginalized populations or contexts where standard methodological procedures are not easily applied. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource : illustrations |
| ISBN: | 9781036243630 103624363X |