Publication: Grandmothers Promote Maternal and Child Health : The Role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems' Managers
Date
2006-02
ISSN
Published
2006-02
Author(s)
Aubel, Judi
Abstract
In virtually all societies, the managers
of indigenous knowledge (IK) systems that deal with the
development, care and well-being of women and children are
senior women, or grandmothers. In that function,
grandmothers are expected to advise and supervise the
younger generations. However, most development programs
neither acknowledge their influence, nor explicitly involve
them in efforts to strengthen existing family and community
survival strategies. Many discussions of indigenous
knowledge tend to be rather narrow, in two respects. First,
IK is often presented in terms of specific knowledge and
practices, or "nuggets of traditional wisdom" in
relative isolation from the community knowledge authorities
and systems of which such knowledge is a part. Second, many
discussions of IK, point to the beneficial elements of
traditional knowledge and practice while completely ignoring
the harmful elements. Andreas Fuglesang, Swedish
communication for development expert, discussed the central
role played by elders in information management in
traditional cultures. He described the function of elders as
the "information storage and processing unit" of a
society, like the hard drive on a computer. He described
their critical role in ensuring continuity between the
knowledge and values of their forefathers and the needs of
younger generations preparing for life in the future. Gender
is another important dimension of the management of IK
systems. In most societies, many roles are gender-specific,
and, therefore, the expertise of elder men and elder women
differs. As regards expertise related to the growth and
development of young children, and to the well-being of
women of reproductive age (WRA), it is clearly senior women,
or grandmothers, who have greater experience and greater
knowledge. The individual behavior change orientation,
widely adopted around the world, tends to focus on WRA while
largely ignoring the socio-cultural systems of which they
are a part, and in which elder family members play an
influential role.
Citation
“Aubel, Judi. 2006. Grandmothers Promote Maternal and Child Health : The Role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems' Managers. Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Notes; No. 89. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/e65d934f-b3ce-5321-9caf-686c194e0f3b License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”