- Author: Latifah
- From: Master of Communication Science Faculty of Communication Science, Padjadjaran University
Abstract:
In recent years, the phenomenon of alternative medicine has been widely discussed in various media on the case of religious spiritual alternative treatment. This treatment becomes one of the efforts undertaken by the community to solve health problems they are experiencing. This phenomenon has long been developed in a society that is considered very strong with the spiritual things. This study shows many factors that influence people in utilizing alternative treatments. Some factors include family factors, personal experience, economy and culture. This study aims to find out how the patient?s health trust on alternative supernatural medicine with the help of Ustad seen from Health Belief Model Theory and theory of cognitive dissonance. HBM is a cognitive model which means that individual behavior is influenced by cognitive processes in itself. This cognitive process is influenced by several factors: demography, socio-psychological, and structural. Demographics include class, age, gender. Sosisopsychological characteristics include, personality, peers, and group pressure. While the structural knowledge and experience about the problem. There are also 6 important aspects of Health Belief Model (HBM), which are perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self efficacy. While the theory of cognition dissonance itself argues that dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling that motivates people to take steps to reduce the discomfort. The method used in this research is qualitative with ethnographic study approach which is more focused on the concept of culture and belief system. Snowball sampling is used as selection of respondents or resource persons method. Where the data will be obtained from the sources will be stopped when the authors find the data saturated. The results of this study is an alternative treatment undertaken by the informants as these patients vary. Not only are there medical diseases that can be resolved medically, there is also a disease that is not known by the medical and also some who want to produce blessing or avoid a negative energy felt by the patient.
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