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Han, Gil Soo : Health and Medicine Under Capitalism: Korean Immigrants in Australia

London: Associated University Presses, 2000 ISBN 083863849X

First edition, near fine condition, in a near fine unclipped dustjacket, publisher's original black clothboards with gilt blocking to spine, 292 pages including appendices, bibliography and index, -------------"The primary task of this interdisciplinary (sociological, anthropological, and historical) study is to explore the question: what changes take place in the way in which culture mediates the health care choices people make when they move from one society to another and why? The empirical focus of the study is on the factors that influence health care utilization (both biomedicine and traditional medicine?hanbang) among Korean immigrants in Australia.Hanbang herbal medicine, originally from China but indigenized in Korea, began to lose its significance on the introduction of biomedicine to Korea over a century ago. The trend continued during the Japanese colonial period (1910-45) and the early pe-riod of economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s. However, hanbang began to regain its significance as affluence increased during the 1980s. This resurgence of hanbang medicine and continuing growth of biomedicine have been accompanied by the rapid industrialization of Korean society.Capitalist development processes in both Korea and Australia in the context of a global economic system and the individual socioeconomic needs of Koreans led Koreans from diverse backgrounds to come to Australia. "Amnesty migrants" came in the 1970s, skilled migrants in the 1980s, and business migrants in the 1990s. Many of the amnesty migrants accumulated what they defined as a "fortune," which was often enough to buy a house and own a small business. This was possible, although often at the cost of their health, because of a relatively favorable Australian economy. Although the skilled migrants came with the skills which were supposed to be in demand in Australia, their inadequacy in the English language and the structural disadvantages confronted by immigrants with non-English-speaking backgrounds, led Korean skilled migrants to gravitate to the bottom part of the job market. The worsening economic reces-sion also contributed adversely to their life. Less than 30 percent of the Korean business migrants in Australia are involved in business activities.The amnesty and skilled migrants have suffered from physical ill health because of their heavy involvement in manual work. The business migrants enjoy relatively good physical health because they spend considerable amounts of time on sporting activities. However, all three groups have suffered from mental ill health, although that of the amnesty migrants has been relatively better.The major finding of the study is that easy access to biomedicine and its frequent use among Koreans make them similar to other immigrant groups. The popular use of hanbang is peculiar and culturally related in the sense that it has been used as a way of maintaining or recovering health in Korea for centuries. The revival of hanbang and its popular use among Koreans in Australia is better explained by the social location of migrants in the host society, especially their work involvement. Koreans in Australia have made best use of all the available sources to sustain their health However, both hanbang and biomedicine operate within the structure of capitalism and there-fore share more similarities than differences. "

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