Paper short abstract:

Tribal health care practices are transforming towards modernity due to the wave of globalisation. Present paper will reveal the various impacts of globalisation on the health seeking behaviour among the Drukpas of Buxa-Duar region, West Bengal, India.

Paper long abstract:

Globalisation is a process which operates across the boundaries of nations, cultures, and societies privileging a pace towards larger integration of the world eventually facilitating an interdependent movement towards the global culture. Globalisation in the context of health may be viewed as a concerted global effort towards prevention, elimination and eradication of various ailments. Further, globalisation also worldwide primarily promotes the so called modern health seeking behaviour. But in the tribal situation health is closely related with their culture, environment and social structure. Most of the tribal communities define health, medical care and etiology of disease in relation to their socio-cultural phenomena. The overall survival and health security of the tribe was strongly depended on their traditional health seeking behaviour which is hastily replaced by the modern health care practices due to the effect of globalisation and cultural transformation.

Indigenous tribe like Drukpa, inhabiting in the Buxa-Duar region of Indo-Bhutan border are well adapted in value to their environment. But in the era of globalisation the indigenous health care practices of the Drukpas are transforming towards so called modernity due to the wave of non-traditional elements entering into their social and cultural life. It seriously affects their dependable traditional health seeking behaviour. The Drukpas tend to be taking a turn towards modern system of medicine though still they have some faith in their age-old medical system.