Social and Cultural Factors Explaining the Continuity of Traditional Medicine in Libya

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the social and cultural factors that explain the persistence of traditional medicine in Libyan society, through a field study of some traditional healers in the cities of Sabratha and Surman (western Libya). The study adopts a medical sociology perspective, employing a descriptive methodology and utilizing semi-structured interviews and observation. The results show that the persistence of traditional medicine is linked to a combination of factors, including family inheritance, social acceptance, religious and cultural beliefs, the personal relationship between healer and patient, and a flexible interaction with modern medicine. The study concludes that traditional medicine is not merely an alternative treatment, but rather an integrated social and cultural system that is reproduced within the local community.