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Bimoist Rituals of Epidemic Prevention and Ethnic Health Communication in Liangshan of Southwest China

Received: 22 August 2022     Accepted: 2 September 2022     Published: 8 September 2022
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Abstract

In the bimoist culture, the origin of the epidemic of gods, ghosts, and nature construct a triple epidemic prevention system supported by bimo (or bimoist priest), the public, and the community in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China. From the perspective of the bimoist culture of Yi ethnic minority people (also known as Nuosu or Nosu), this paper investigates the significance of symbolic interactive ritual chain in ethnic memory, ethnic identity, and ethnic epidemic prevention for understanding health transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. The flexibility of the primitive bimoist culture makes it a positive force for epidemic prevention in local society. Studying the bimoist rituals of epidemic prevention in Liangshan of Southwest China in the light of symbolic interaction benefits health communication in the post-era of the coronavirus pandemic. The bimoist culture is a self-contained system. The bimo plays a crucial role in connecting the gods, ghosts, nature, and animal kingdoms in Nuosu rituals in the bimoist culture. Ethnic epidemic prevention and health communication in the Yi communities play an essential role in collective cognition, memory, and identity. In formulating and implementing the policy, it is crucial to value the bimoist culture while providing modern medical treatment and epidemic prevention conditions for the Yi community.

Published in Social Sciences (Volume 11, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ss.20221105.15
Page(s) 291-297
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Bimoist Culture, Animism, Ethnic Epidemic Prevention, Ritual Communication, Health Communication

References
[1] Statistical Bureau of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. (2021). Statistical Bulletin on National Economic and Social Development of Liangshan Prefecture in 2021. http://tjj.lsz.gov.cn/sjfb/lstjgb/202205/t20220512_2218837.html
[2] Hoëm, I. (2009). Ritualized Performances as Total Social Facts: The House of Multiple Spirits in Tokelau, in Ritual Communication, p. 203. New York, USA: Routledge.
[3] Liu, J. (2019). Animating Knowledge: Ritual, Power, and Relatedness among Liangshan Yi in Southwest China. Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
[4] Ding, M. (2020). Purity and Filth: A Case Study of the Ritual of Removing Dirt and Purifying Spirit in Nipmu Cobi of Yi Ethnic Group in Liangshan. Southwest Minzu University of China.
[5] Tang, Q. (2022), Cultural Capital of Epidemic Prevention: Anthropological Reflection on Cognition and Response of Epidemic in the Yi Ethnic Group of Liangshan. Journal of Ethnic Culture (China), p. 24, (1): 99-109+105.
[6] Bamo, A. (2000). Bimo in the Yi society of Liangshan, China [J]. Journal of Xichang Normal College, (02), pp. 1-10.
[7] Douglas, M. (1984). Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concept of Pollution and Taboo, p. 73. London and New York: Routledge.
[8] Stephenson, B. (2015). Ritual: A Very Short Introduction, p. 102. New York, Oxford University Press.
[9] Ting, R. S. K., Zhang, K., & Huang, Q. (2019). An inclusive indigenous psychology for all Chinese: Heeding the mind and spirit of ethnic minorities in China. In Asian indigenous psychologies in the global context, pp. 249-276. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
[10] Pöyry, E., Reinikainen, H., & Luoma-Aho, V. (2022). The Role of Social Media Influencers in Public Health Communication: Case COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 16 (3), pp. 469-484.
[11] Hays, J. (1998). The Burdens of Disease: Epidemics and Human Response in Western History. Revised Edition. New Brunswick, New Jersey and London: Rutgers University Press, p. 1.
[12] Weinstein, N. D., & Sandman, P. M. (1992). A model of the precaution adoption process: Evidence from home radon testing. Health Psychology, 11 (3), pp. 170-180.
[13] Bamo, A. (2001). Return to Liangshan. National Art (China), (01), pp. 179-190.
[14] Street Jr, R. L., & Finset, A. (2022). Two years with COVID-19: New-and old-challenges for health communication research. Patient Education and Counseling, 105 (2), p. 261.
[15] Kreuter, M. W., & McClure, S. M. (2004). The role of culture in health communication. Annual review of public health, 25 (1), pp. 439-455.
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    Qiangchun Wang. (2022). Bimoist Rituals of Epidemic Prevention and Ethnic Health Communication in Liangshan of Southwest China. Social Sciences, 11(5), 291-297. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20221105.15

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    ACS Style

    Qiangchun Wang. Bimoist Rituals of Epidemic Prevention and Ethnic Health Communication in Liangshan of Southwest China. Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(5), 291-297. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20221105.15

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    AMA Style

    Qiangchun Wang. Bimoist Rituals of Epidemic Prevention and Ethnic Health Communication in Liangshan of Southwest China. Soc Sci. 2022;11(5):291-297. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20221105.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ss.20221105.15,
      author = {Qiangchun Wang},
      title = {Bimoist Rituals of Epidemic Prevention and Ethnic Health Communication in Liangshan of Southwest China},
      journal = {Social Sciences},
      volume = {11},
      number = {5},
      pages = {291-297},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20221105.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20221105.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20221105.15},
      abstract = {In the bimoist culture, the origin of the epidemic of gods, ghosts, and nature construct a triple epidemic prevention system supported by bimo (or bimoist priest), the public, and the community in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China. From the perspective of the bimoist culture of Yi ethnic minority people (also known as Nuosu or Nosu), this paper investigates the significance of symbolic interactive ritual chain in ethnic memory, ethnic identity, and ethnic epidemic prevention for understanding health transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. The flexibility of the primitive bimoist culture makes it a positive force for epidemic prevention in local society. Studying the bimoist rituals of epidemic prevention in Liangshan of Southwest China in the light of symbolic interaction benefits health communication in the post-era of the coronavirus pandemic. The bimoist culture is a self-contained system. The bimo plays a crucial role in connecting the gods, ghosts, nature, and animal kingdoms in Nuosu rituals in the bimoist culture. Ethnic epidemic prevention and health communication in the Yi communities play an essential role in collective cognition, memory, and identity. In formulating and implementing the policy, it is crucial to value the bimoist culture while providing modern medical treatment and epidemic prevention conditions for the Yi community.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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    AB  - In the bimoist culture, the origin of the epidemic of gods, ghosts, and nature construct a triple epidemic prevention system supported by bimo (or bimoist priest), the public, and the community in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China. From the perspective of the bimoist culture of Yi ethnic minority people (also known as Nuosu or Nosu), this paper investigates the significance of symbolic interactive ritual chain in ethnic memory, ethnic identity, and ethnic epidemic prevention for understanding health transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. The flexibility of the primitive bimoist culture makes it a positive force for epidemic prevention in local society. Studying the bimoist rituals of epidemic prevention in Liangshan of Southwest China in the light of symbolic interaction benefits health communication in the post-era of the coronavirus pandemic. The bimoist culture is a self-contained system. The bimo plays a crucial role in connecting the gods, ghosts, nature, and animal kingdoms in Nuosu rituals in the bimoist culture. Ethnic epidemic prevention and health communication in the Yi communities play an essential role in collective cognition, memory, and identity. In formulating and implementing the policy, it is crucial to value the bimoist culture while providing modern medical treatment and epidemic prevention conditions for the Yi community.
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Author Information
  • School of Fusion Media, Sichuan University of Media and Communications, Chengdu, China

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