Nguyen Minh Man. The political economy of stroke among farmers in Kiew Giang province Vietnam. Master's Degree(Health Social Science ). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2008.
The political economy of stroke among farmers in Kiew Giang province Vietnam
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to find out how strokes among farmers
happened under the transition to capitalist modes of production.
A qualitative case study was carried out in Kien Giang Province, Southern
Vietnam, from June 10th to August 10th, 2007. In-depth interviews and participant
observation was done with ten farmers who had suffered strokes and ten of their
family members at their house and the Neurological Ward of the General Hospital,
Traditional Hospital.
It was found that the strokes of these small landholders or farmers and landless
farm workers were related to the capitalist system. The small landholders were under
severe stress due to economic hardship, threat of losing their land and property
because of high interest rates, high cost of production, low price of products, and the
uncertainty of the weather and farm outputs. Also, they needed to make good produce.
Therefore, they worked hard in every step of the production process to ensure the
products would grow properly and would not be destroyed by animals or bad
environment. This made them more stressed. The landless workers also had to work
hard, regardless of small wages, for the welfare of their family members. They
worked for long hours under their bosses control and the severe working conditions
of the rice fields.
All these famers dealt with shortage of income, stress, body pain and
sleeplessness by drinking, smoking, working late, taking painkillers and eating
preserved or salty food with large amounts of rice. As a result, they developed high
blood pressure and were unable to access proper care. Finally, they had a stroke.