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ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to explore the cultural factors associated with the health of Muthuvan tribal women especially the reasons which force the women to use contraceptive pills to avoid being sent away to menstrual quarantine homes. In depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five key informants belonged to different ages. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Eight major categories emerged: Passive followers of culture, extreme dependency on men and lack of decision making capacity, status of Muthuvan Tribal women and absence of abuse and molestation, simple and agrarian way of life, simple food habits and enough physical exercises, untreated morbidity, threatening maternal health, misuse of birth control pills- an impact of culture and beliefs and ethno medicine and practices during festivals. The study suggests the importance of culture oriented development models.
Keywords: Cultural Factors, Health, Muthuvan Tribal Women, Qualitative Analysis
INTRODUCTION
The Muduvans or Mudugars are a tribe of hill cultivators in Coimbatore, Madura, Malabar and Travancore. They are found in the Adimali and Devikulam forest regions of Idukki district, Kerala. The origin of the name Muthuvan itself has drawn so many interpretations. Muthuvan culture is no varied from other tribal culture. Muthuvan culture is related to Tamil Nadu. According to a legend prevalent among the Muthuvan, cited by Thurston (1909), they originally belonged to Madurai in Tamil Nadu. When Kannagi, a divine woman and the principle character of the Tamil epic Chilappathikaram left Madurai after destroying it by her curse, a group of people also migrated with her to the hills, carrying her, their children and belongings on their backs (muthuku, in Malayalam). Thus they came to be known as Muthuvan, meaning "those who carried something on their backs'. The Muthuvan still carry their children on their backs, an uncommon practice in Kerala.
The researcher would like to mention about the identification of research problem. Surprisingly, it is based on a news paper heading on Tuesday, 24 January 2012. The troubling news was that "The Adivasi women of the remote forest village, Edamalakudy, in Kerala's Idukki district have become dependent on the "pill" to avoid being sent away to menstrual quarantine homes (Valapuras or Valaymapuras) or becoming pregnant" (Pioneer, 2012). Of course, the news disturbed the researcher's mind...