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Chapter III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter deals with details of research design and procedures followed in conducting the present study. The research project has been undertaken with the set of objectives of finding out the traditional healing practices of the Kandha and Santal the healers in treating the patientsfor generations together.
3.1. Selection of district: The study was confined to two Tribes namely, the Santal and the Kandha who are widely spread over the state territory and are also distributed in the boardering districts of neighbouring states. The Kondhas and Santals have been selected because Kondhs are widely spread over vast area Odisha, Andhra, West Bengal and Jharkhand. The communities spread over a wider area are supposed to have under gone change due to acculturation process. In Odisha, the Kondhs inhabit in the south and central parts of Odisha with its concentration in Kandhamal district while the Santals spread over the boardering districts of West Bengal, Jahrkanhand and Odisha with its high conentation in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha .The Kondhs and Santals are also seen substantially representing the demographic structure of the districts like Rayagada and Keonjhar respectively. The district having highest concentration of particular tribewas selected to conduct the study. Besides their migration history, both these ethnic groups have occupied significant position in the tribal history of India. Based on last census (2011) the districts like Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar were selected for Santal tribe and Kandhamal and Raygada for Kandha Tribe for the study.
3.2. Selection of respondents: For the purpose of study both healers and patients constituted the sample. It was decided to select Santal healers @ 20 per district of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar and @ 15 healers per district belonging to Desia and Kutia Kandha of Kandhamal district and Dongria Kondha of Raygada district. The total healers of both Santal and Kandha tribes came to 85 and patient to 425.
Page 48 3.3. Criteria of selecting healers and patients: On the basis of the following criteria
stratified random sampling method was followed for the selection of healers.
1. Healers having at least five years of experience in healing practices.
2. Gaining popularity in the community for treating patients.
3. Operating at village level for treatment of diseases.
4. Well acquainted with local language and culture in addition to their tribal language of Olchiki/Kui and Kuvi
Similarly, for selection the patients, one who hasreceived treatment of the traditional healers at least for two diseases were taken. Accordingly 5 patients per healer were selected to form the sample size.
The sample size comprises of a total of 510 respondents including traditional healers and 425 patients from two tribal communities namely; the Santal and the Kandha as detailed in table 3.3.1.
Table 3.3.1 Sample size of the study
Tribe District Healers Patients
1. Santal Mayurbhanj 20 100
Keonjhar 20 100
2. Kandha
(i) Donaria Raygada 15 75
(ii) Desia Kandhamal 15 75
(iii) Kutia Kandhamal 15 75
TOTAL 4 85 425
3.4 Development of tools for data collection: Data were collected as per objectives of the study administering thetools such as interview schedule, field observation, interaction at individual and group level.
Interview schedules were canvassed among the healers for collecting information on the socio-economic and personal profile of the healers, healing as profession, meaning of illness, treatment and associated rituals, therapeutical agents and their use in preparation of
Page 49 medicines, overlap between magic and nature present in the indigenous culture of Tribe, usefulness of ITK in Ayurvedic treatment and leadership traits of the healers.
Interview Schedules were administered among the patients for collection of data on socio- economic and personal profile, diagnosis of illness, disease and curative measures, and response on the treatment by healers.
3.5 Variables under study
Data on socio-economic profile of the healers and patients were gathered on the variables like clan and family composition, age, gender and educational status, occupation and economic category.
The health cure practices of the traditional healers were investicated using variables such as healer experience, expertise, and specialisation in treatment of illness, sources of learning and training, common diseases occure and their reasons in the locality, types of treatments applied and fees charged, if any; women treatment, ritual cure, use of ayurvedic system and ITK and level of satisfaction on their treatments.
The responses from the patients were collected through the interview schedules using variables such as knowing the diseases, appointment with the healers and treatment received, application of medicines and herbs and rituals, payment of fee and access to other source of treatments.
3.6 Pre-testing of Schedules: The interview schedules for the healers and patients were developed taking many factors and using different variables into consideration. Schedules in English were translated into local language for administration in the field. To know validity of schedules a pilot study was undertaken in the field for testing among the healers and patients. On the basis of the response so obtained the final schedules were modified to make these more specific and objective oriented.
3.7 Field Survey: The field survey was conducted during March to June 2014 in selected districts by the trained investigators. All the six investigators were trained with input of anthropological data and references. In the beginning local knowledgeable persons of Kandha and Santals were taken into confidence to help in interview as interpreters. The interpreters were extremely helpful in conducting interview and recording of data. In the beginning for
Page 50 interviewing and recording of data from each sample took about three hours which became easier later with progress of interview.
3.8 Data analysis: Adopting coding and decoding methods, the data were systematically arranged and tables formed and analysed applying simple statistical measures.
Conceptual Framework of the Study
The diagram presented below sketches a conceptual framework of the study which is self explanatory.
A map showing the study area placed below indicates the operations of the traditional healing system among the Kandha and Santal tribes in the Raygada, Kandhamal, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts of Odisha.
Page 51 Map: 3.1 Maps of the Districts under study
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