Spiritualism and women: An historical, ethnographic, and theoretical analysis of an alternative healing system

Abstract

This thesis is an historical, ethnographic, and theoretical analysis of an alternative health care system, Spiritualist healing, which specifically addresses health and illness issues pertaining to power, gender, and conceptions of the self. In the historical section, the rise of Spiritualism is discussed in terms of the dissatisfaction with orthodox religion, stereotypical gender roles, and allopathic medicine. Spiritualism is still an extant religious philosophy today, as is evidenced in the ethnographic data presented which is based upon research at Spirituality Association United (SAU), a Spiritualist chapel located in a large southwestern city. Women's continued strong participation in Spiritualism is documented and the Spiritualist cosmology at SAU is discussed which revolves around the polysemic concept of healing. Alternative healing strategies such as Spiritualist healing can be considered as partially counter-hegemonic to biomedicine: biomedical practitioners should become more cognizant of alternative health care in our society so that the needs of health seekers are met by informed and open-minded practitioners.