"Biomedicine and Traditional Medicine: Continuities and Discontinuities
in
Korean Migrants' Use of Health Care in Australia"

Gil-Soo Han

Ph.D. in Sociology/Anthropology, 1997.  University of New England,
Australia.

Abstract:

The primary task of this interdisciplinary (anthropological,
sociological
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 which influence health care utilization
(both
biomedicine and traditional medicine - hanbang) amongst Korean
immigrants
in Australia.

Three recent military regimes in South Korea have constantly pursued an
export- and growth-oriented policy rather than a stability-oriented
policy
or one committed to the redistribution of wealth.  The regimes have used
economic achievement as the central measure for justifying their own
political legitimacy.  They utilized the international political and
economic situation, and the Korean people's desire for an affluent life.
Despite its recent membership of the OECD, the South Korean state offers
little social welfare for the majority of its population who have
contributed much to the country's development.

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 period 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 socio-economic 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 them a house and
own
a small business.  This was possible, although often at the cost of
their
health and because of a relatively favourable 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 Non-English Speaking Background
immigrants, led Korean skilled migrants to gravitate to the bottom part
of
the job market.  The worsening economic recession also contributed
adversely
to their life. Less than 30% 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, such as playing golf.  However,
all
the three groups have suffered significantly 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 amongst Koreans make them similar to other immigrant
groups.
The popular use of traditional medicine (hanbang) is peculiar and
culturally related in the sense that hanbang has been used as a way of
maintaining or recovering health in Korea for centuries.  The revival of
hanbang and its popular use amongst 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 therefore
share more similarities than differences.

* A revised version of the study will be soon available in a book form.