HEALING IN DISPLACEMENT: ILLNESS PERCEPTIONS AND TREATMENT PATHWAYS AMONG KASHMIRI REFUGEES ENCAMPED IN AZAD KASHMIR

Abstract

This interpretative ethnographic study explores the perceptions of health and illness among Kashmiri refugees living in a camp in Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, and investigates their healing practices amidst prolonged displacement while navigating the structural and cultural challenges of camp life. Ethnographic methods, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and detailed field notes, were employed to gather in-depth insights. Data were collected from 10 respondents, including male and female refugee participants and two traditional healers from the camp community. The study is framed through Kleinman’s concept of medical pluralism, which emphasizes the coexistence of multiple therapeutic systems, biomedical, traditional, and spiritual, within a single cultural setting. Findings reveal that health is perceived not merely in biomedical terms but as a dynamic interplay of physical, moral, and spiritual well-being. Traditional healing practices, including herbal remedies, spiritual rituals, and dietary regulations, are preferred not only for their perceived efficacy but also for their cultural familiarity and symbolic connection to homeland. These practices function as a navigation tool for refugees: they provide therapeutic relief, reinforce resilience, and offer emotional and spiritual grounding while preserving cultural continuity in displacement.