«Demons and Witches»: Haraway’s Articulation Model Applied to the Understanding of Galician Popular Medicine

Abstract

The study is based on Haraway's articulation model to examine popular medicine in Galicia, which proposes a situated perspective and rejects the separation between the natural and the social. According to Haraway, through both human and non-human elements, narratives are constructions that give meanings to events in the lives of individuals within a network of significances. From this perspective, the research has three objectives: to analyze what is understood as illeness and its causes, to study the figure of the healer and the acquisition of their knowledge, and to explore the patient's experience. To address the situation, a couple of in-depth interviews were conducted with selected profiles, chosen for their knowledge and experience in Galician popular medicine. Although the study is grounded in a conceptual and methodological theoretical frameworks, its purpose is not limited to reviewing existing literature but aims to generate new knowledge and propose a theoretical stance on the subject. The findings reveal a reformulation of traditional doctor-patient roles toward more democratic relationships, where community and family play a central role. Knowledge is constructed «by the people and for the people», validating and legitimizing concerns through a logic shared by all involved, in contrast with conventional medical logics and timelines. This approach allows for understanding how practices, knowledge, and meanings are organized in Galician popular medicine from a situated, embodied, and relational perspective.