Shukla and Sinclair researched the perceived importance of skills related to traditional medicinal plant knowledge (TMK) among older and younger generations of healers in Western India. The local transmission of TMK was found to be age-specific and centers on the acquisition of 10 critical skills identified and discussed in this paper. This study contributes to understanding the erosion of TMK, which greatly affects public health in South Asia as it is estimated that 80% of the population there uses plant-based medicines. This focus on practice-oriented aspects of TMK is considered by the authors to be a very direct and useful lens for assessing TMK erosion.

The study took place in two remote, poor villages and consisted of two phases. Methods used in the first part of the study were informal interviews, participant observation and focus group discussions with 33 established, mature healers from both of the villages. The researchers used SPSS to analyze data that identified and ranked the ten most critical skills for being a successful healer according to the elders. Most important of the ten skills were: plant identification, knowledge of plants becoming rare, interest in plants and harvesting of plants. Processing of plants, consultation with the patient, plant habitats and application of medicines were placed in the mid-level classification as 'important' and the least important of the crucial skills were evaluation of treatment and follow-up with patients. Sub-sets of skills were identified and discussed for each skill category.

The second phase of research focused on 27 young healers that were disciples of the elders. Using the list of critical skills generated by the elders, the younger healers ranked the skills according to the importance that they ascribed to each skill. The Man-Whitney U test and SPSS were used to analyze the differential preferences of both groups.

It is shown that perceptions about the importance of critical skills are changing through the generations. Knowledge about habitat and location of rare plants were more important to elders than their disciples. Interest in and identification of local plants were also undervalued by youth and considered difficult and time-consuming to learn. Spiritual practices underlie aspects of TMK skills such as habitat, harvesting and consultations and these were not ranked highly by younger healers.

Focus group discussions revealed some reasons for declining interest in TMK by young learners. Strict and difficult admissions tests required by the elders discouraged disciples. Young healers complained that elders withheld TMK in order to retain their special status as expert gurus, but the elders themselves judged young learners as lacking in interest, persistence and good work ethics. The authors attribute these changing priorities to formal schooling and the recent introduction of allopathic medicine. To stem the erosion of TMK transmission, the authors suggest that schools incorporate TMK into their curricula and that community-based education encouraging intergenerational TMK transmission and valuation be promoted. Studies focused on the gendered aspects of TMK transmission are also suggested.

Prepared by Megan Glore