Disease and Dis -Ease: Emotions, Sociality and Illness in Punata, Bolivia

Abstract

In Punata, emotions are spoken about as if they had "physicality". They can be accumulated in the body, transformed into other substances such as bile; or they can be eliminated through breast milk or through the uterus. Two predominant discourses influence whether a particular person succumbs to illnesses dues to emotions: (1) a discourse of debility and (2) a discourse concerning how women orchestrate, express (or do not express), and/or negotiate their emotions in relation to other people. Three extended case studies present the complexity of women's views of their conflicts, their health problems and the treatment options they seek out.