Illness and misfortune more broadly are ubiquitous; thus, healing roles
or professions are also universal. Ironically, however, little attention
has been paid to those who heal or promote wellbeing. These come in many
different guises: in some societies, healing is highly professional and
specialized; in some cases, it is more preventative, in others more
interventionist. Based on rich and wide-ranging ethnographic data and
especially written for this volume, these essays look at how a great
variety of health providers are perceived - from traditional healers to
physicians, from diviners to nursing home providers. Conversely, the
authors also ask how healers, or those concerned with wider matters of
well being, view themselves and to what degree social attitudes differ
in regard to who these people are, as well as their power, prestige and
activities. As these essays demonstrate, class, gender, sexuality,
ethnicity, or state policy may all play formative roles in shaping the
definition of health and wellbeing, how they are delivered, and the
character and prestige of those who provide for our health and welfare
in society.