Discourse of Traditional Medicine Street Advertisement in Kisumu , Kenya (original) (raw)
Related papers
Information is a very important concept during an interaction between interlocutors within a particular health communicative context. In matters concerning individuals' health and other emotive issues, subjective information of any kind would provide sustaining knowledge to the seeker of knowledge. It is, therefore, of immense significance for people to have access to credible information that would satisfy their questions, curiosity and emerging problems of wellness. In Kenyan towns and villages, certain strategic street pathways are replete with Traditional Medicine advertisements by herbalists and witchdoctors. As a vehicle for promoting social modernization, the impact of utilizing advertising to promote trade in developing society remains a key subject. Although audiences are exposed to a number of advertisements, advertising may deceive either by increasing a consumer's false belief or by exploiting true beliefs in the ways designed to sell the product or offer services. This paper has interest in the discourse of advertisement of traditional medicine. Health issues have always been an important and emotive phenomenon in the lives of humans. Being in good health and able to go about one's business without ill-health is a desire longed for by everyone. Hence, people become very much interested in matters touching on their health and the inherent rhetoric accompanying the offered 'solutions' as a means of persuasion. Are herbal medicine practitioners' genuinely reaching out to fill the void possibly left out by modern medicine? Are these practitioners ably 'treating' all the 'illnesses' they advertise? These questions form the discourse matters sought in this paper.
THE RHETORIC OF ADVERTISING HERBAL MEDICINE IN THE VOLTA REGION OF GHANA
This current study focuses on the rhetorical strategies employed by advertisers of herbal medicine in the Volta Region of Ghana. The researcher collected radio and open air advertisements on herbal medicines in the region. Using the rhetoric theory by Aristotle (1926) Campbell (1979) and Lauer (2004) the researcher analyzed the transcribed data qualitatively. The analysis revealed that the advertisers use source credibility, identification with the audience, special titles and spatial deictic forms together with linguistic resources to portray the herbal medical practitioner as credible, qualified and very important in the well-being of the individual. Since the data is an oral-transcribed one, we suggested an investigation of the same phenomena in written adverts which might have different findings.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), 2011
This paper critically examines the morality of advertising by practitioners in spiritual healing and herbal medicine heretofore referred to as traditional medicine, in southern African urban societies. While the subject of traditional medicine has been heavily contested in medical studies in the last few decades, the monumental studies on the subject have emphasised the place of traditional medicine in basic health services. Insignificant attention has been devoted to examine the ethical problems associated with traditional medicine advertising. Critical look at the worthiness of some advertising strategies used by practitioners in traditional medicine in launching their products and services on market thus has been largely ignored. Yet, though advertising is key to helping traditional medicine practitioners' products and services known by prospective customers, this research registers a number of morally negative effects that seem to outweigh the merits that the activity brings to prospective customers. The paper adopts southern African urban societies, and in particular Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe as particular references. The choice of the trio is not accidental, but based on the fact that these countries have in the last few decades been flooded with traditional medicine practitioners/traditional healers from within the continent and from abroad. Most of these practitioners use immoral advertising strategies in communicating to the public the products and services they offer. It is against this background that this paper examines the morality of advertising strategies deployed by practitioners in launching their products and services. To examine the moral worthiness of the advertising strategies used by traditional medical practitioners, I used qualitative analysis of street adverts as well as electronic and print media. From the results obtained through thematic content analysis, the paper concludes that most of the practitioners in traditional medicine lack both business and medical ethics. That said, the paper urges practitioners to seriously consider the morality of their adverts as in most cases they (adverts) do more harm than good. Further to that, the piece recommends the governments of the affected countries to put in place stringent measures to address this mounting problem.
Journal of Community Medicine and Primary Health Care
Background: While extant literature highlights several motivations for Traditional Medicine (TM) usage; few studies have examined how promotions and information asymmetries influence traditional medicine usage behaviors. This study aimed to map out information biases underlying the marketing and promotion of Traditional Medicines in Central Uganda and explored the dimensions of attitudes and usage behaviors of TM users. Methods: The study utilized a qualitative approach by conducting in-depth face-to-face semistructured interviews with TM users in the metropolitan parts of Central Uganda. The study participants were recruited from the Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) clinics with the help of community development officers under the guidance of the National Council for Traditional Healers and Herbalists' Association (NACOTHA). Study participants gave their written consent, and their identities have since been kept confidential. Saturation point was reached at 34 res...
From White Beads to White Words: Symbols and Language in the Marketing of Xhosa Traditional Healers
Southern African Journal for Folklore Studies
Much research has been conducted on African traditional healers generally (Arden 1996; Chidester 1996; Chakanza 2006; Reeder 2011), and Xhosa diviners and herbalists specifically (Hammond-Tooke 1989; Hirst 1997, 2005), but none of this work focuses on their particular public discourse. Some researchers (Tyrrell 1976; Broster & Bourn 1982) describe outward symbols and publicly knowable signs of their identity, but do not analyse the implicit meanings of these symbols. In order to reach a more nuanced understanding of how Xhosa diviners and herbalists traditionally used to market themselves to their public (how they made themselves publically known), this paper draws on information from documented investigations into diviners and herbalists in South Africa; a description of their current marketing strategies is drawn from our own research and inquiries. We argue that Xhosa herbalists and diviners are key players in negotiating the socio-cultural aspects of their respective societies, ...
Sobotone, Ponkiriyon, Herbal Marketing Communicationand Nigeria’s Healthcare System
2017
This study examined the sudden rise in the marketing, communication and consumption of herbal products and the challenge of Nigeria’s healthcare system. Specifically, it focused on the transformed traditional herbal blends named Sobotone and Ponkiriyon. Whilst locating the rationale for, as well as the consequences of rising intake of the raw herbal products, the study brought to fore the gains and pains experienced by their consumers. With a brief examination of the application of marketing communication tools that accentuated their local awareness and patronage, the study showed how herbal products fared within the reality of Nigeria’s healthcare system. Two Scopus-indexed journals provided arguments for this study concerning the capacity of the country’s healthcare system to address the possible outcomes of increased consumption of Sobotone and Ponkiriyon. Hinged on Uses and Gratification theory, the study adopted a qualitative method of analysis using ten Focus Group Discussions...
International …, 2011
Arguments have trailed the services of traditional medicine practitioners (TMPS) in Edo State, Nigeria, with regard to the effectiveness of their medicines. Many people get to know and possibly seek the services of TMPS by viewing/listening to TMPS" advertisements on television (TV) and radio channels. It is against this backcloth that this paper adopts the survey methodology to investigate Nigerians" ever-use of traditional medicine and their perceptions of its provision and effects, using Edo State as a case study. To achieve this, the researchers analyzed the views of 300 respondents who have sought the services of TMPS, having heard or watched radio/TV programmes that advertised TMPS" services. In the end, it was found that much of the claims of cure of ailments by TMPS are suspect and leave much to be desired. Therefore, the paper concludes by suggesting that stakeholders, including government, broadcast media should help to refocus the agencies charged with traditional medicine with a view to professionalising the activities of the rather many TMPS in Edo State and that TMPS with genuine nous should be encouraged to make available their expertise in a strategic synergy with orthodox medicine practitioners for the overall good of the healthcare delivery system.
Background A lot of emphasis is often placed on modern governance systems and little or no attention is given to traditional governance practices which remain largely undocumented. The study aimed at finding out important traditional and modern governance practices that regulate traditional medicine sector in the Western Kenya. Materials and Methods The study was carried out in selected market centres of Western Kenya where the identified Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) sell their traditional medicine. All consenting TMPs and Professional Experts were interviewed with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire. Purposive sampling design with elements of snow ball techniques was employed in tracing competent traditional medicine (TM) experts and relevant professional experts. The data collected was processed in Microsoft Excel and descriptive statistics performed. The Pearson’s Chi square statistics was carried out to determine the significance of the traditional and modern...
Traditional medicine trade and uses in the surveyed medicine markets of Western Kenya
African Health Sciences
Background: There exist vast traditional medicine and herbal remedies prescribed for diseases and socio-cultural ills that are sold in local medicine markets.Objectives: To assess the common traditional medicine traded in the local medicine markets and used for treating common diseases.Methods: The study was carried out in nine purposively selected medicine markets spread out in seven administrative counties of Western Kenya. Purposive sampling with elements of snow ball method was employed in the identification of willing respondents.In addition, face to face interviews were conducted with the aid of a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire that sought to extract a targeted and expertise information from the respondents.Results: The survey recorded 45 commonly traded plant families composed of 78 genera and 87 medicinal plant species. Meliaceae, Apocynaceae and Fabaceae were leading plant families whereas Trichilia emetica, Azadirachta indica, Dregea schimperi and Aloe spp. were ...