Table Of ContentTheorizing Complementary and Alternative Medicines
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Theorizing
Complementary and
Alternative Medicines
Wellbeing, Self, Gender, Class
By
Eeva Sointu
SmithCollege,USA
©EevaSointu2012
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2012 978-0-230-30931-9
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For Flo
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Contents
Acknowledgements viii
1 Introduction 1
2 LandscapesofComplementaryandAlternativeHealth 21
3 Wellbeing,SelfhoodandSubjectivity 43
4 GenderingtheSearchforWellbeing 71
5 Prescription:Recognition 100
6 NegotiatingTherapeuticLegitimacy 124
7 TheHolisticBodyandMind 149
8 TheSpiritinMind,BodyandSpirit 166
9 HealingBody-Subjects 184
10 Conclusions 208
Notes 217
Bibliography 222
Index 236
vii
Acknowledgements
I am deeply thankful to the practitioners and clients who were inter-
viewedinthecourseofthisresearch.Withoutthem,theiraccountsand
explanations, this book would not exist. It was a humbling experience
tobe invitedto hearaboutpeople’s journeysthroughthecomplemen-
taryandalternativehealthdomain–anexperienceIcontinuetoregard
asagreatprivilege.
Linda Woodhead, Nancy Whittier and Andrew Sayer provided espe-
cially invaluable insight, encouragement and advice throughout the
long process of producing this book. These three scholars and friends
deserve more thanks than I can even begin to express. Thank you for
yourenduringsupportandastutereflections.
ThankyoualsotothemarvelousSociologyDepartmentandstudents
at Smith College, USA, and both the Department of Sociology and the
Institute of Health Research at Lancaster University, UK. The generous
supportofmycolleaguesmeansmuchtome,andIamfortunatetohave
somanygreatstudentstohelpmedevelopmythinkingfurther.
A number of people have given much advice and help through-
out this long project, and contributed to it greatly. Thank you to
Kevin Hetherington, Jackie Stacey, Bülent Diken, Tina Wildhagen,
Jen Guglielmo, Marc Steinberg, Ginetta Candelario, Leslie King, Rick
Fantasia, Payal Banerjee, Mary Ruggie, Nadya Sbaiti, Caroline Melly,
RícheBarnes,TonyGatrell,IrisPalorsaari,Lisa,Darren,JoshandSophia
Edwards, Jennie Germann Molz, Floris Tomasini, Dawn Mills, Steffi
Sinclair, Katrina Røn, Abby Day, Amanda Bingley, Paddy McSweeney
andRebeccaBroadhurst.
Thankyoualsotomyfamily,especiallymyhusband,Flo,whosesup-
port is unwavering and whose friendship is inspiring, and my parents,
Lea and Tapio. My brother, Erkko, has also always been an invaluable
sourceofsupport,intellectuallyandemotionally.
ThankyoutotheSociologyofHealthandIllnessforkindlyallowingme
to draw on Sointu, E. (2011), Detraditionalization, gender, and alter-
native and complementary medicines, Sociology of Health and Illness,
33(3)356–71.
viii
1
Introduction
Anna has been involved in complementary and alternative medicines
for years. Her move to holistic health practices initially took place
after an injury acquired in a car crash proved difficult to treat through
conventionalmeans:
I had a car accident, and I had a back injury. And I went down the
conventional route where I had...a consultant looked at me and
said, “well, you know, it’s just a whiplash injury and we’ll just give
you some physiotherapy and that should sort it out”. And it didn’t.
AndthenIsortoftriedafewdifferentthings.
(Anna–aclientandapractitioner)
Inthefaceofthefailureofbiomedicalapproachestoaddressherinjury,
Anna felt she needed something different, something new. She con-
sultedanosteopathandtriedaromatherapymassage,hypnotherapyand
reflexology.
Though at first focused on her hurt back, Anna’s turn to alterna-
tive health practices was also entangled with other significant events
inherlife:
I’d lost my husband as well, just shortly after the accident. And
IthinkIwasquitelowandstressedandmychildrenwerestruggling,
youknow,theyweregrieving,anditwasdifficult.Ifounditdifficult
to cope with them as well, and it just, all these relaxing things just
seemedto...Isupposeitwasawayofjustnurturing,really.
(Anna–aclientandapractitioner)
1
