Conducted jointly by UM1 and IRD, this research explores qigong as a therapeutic and social practice in China.
The Essentials: Conducted jointly by UM1 and IRD, this research explores qigong as a therapeutic and social practice in China.
Evelyne Micollier, researcher at TransVIHMI (Université Montpellier 1).
Thesis defended in 1995.
This research is the product of an international joint supervision (cotutelle) between several partner institutions.
Context and Research Question
Qigong constitutes a set of practices centered on breath work and the cultivation of vital energy, encompassing therapeutic, religious, and social dimensions. In China, this discipline is not limited to a simple wellness exercise; it is embedded in a complex cultural framework that reflects the dynamics of medical pluralism. Qigong sits at the intersection of traditional medicine and contemporary biomedical approaches, illustrating a social phenomenon that warrants close analysis.
Therapeutic pluralism in China highlights the interactions between traditional and modern knowledge systems. Economic reforms and processes of globalization have created an environment conducive to the revival of practices such as qigong. This phenomenon raises questions about the legitimacy and transmission of knowledge, as well as the evolution of religious and medical practices in response to contemporary expectations.
Examining qigong invites reflection on the tensions between its medical and religious dimensions. The institutionalization of this practice within China's public health system, together with the emphasis placed on its scientific legitimation, reveals the dynamics of power and knowledge that animate the field of health in China. The master-disciple relationship, which structures the transmission of knowledge, is also a fundamental aspect to consider in understanding how qigong practices are perpetuated and transformed.
Methodology
The research drew on methods and concepts from social anthropology, notably ethnology and ethnography, as well as approaches from the anthropology of health. Data were collected in the field in China, with a focus on both rural and urban settings. Hainan province was studied for 13 months, followed by fieldwork in Canton between 1991 and 1992. This multi-ethnic, multilingual context allowed for immersion in qigong practices and direct observation of social interactions.
The data collected include participant observation, interviews, life stories, as well as varied written and audiovisual sources, such as publications, hagiographies, and videos of practice sessions. This multidimensional approach highlighted the diversity and richness of qigong practices while underscoring their roots in religious, medical, and martial traditions.
Experimental research protocols were used to analyze the effectiveness of qigong within a medical framework. Historical and cultural elements were also incorporated to situate the practices within their socio-historical context. The research thus revealed the complexity of the knowledge and practices associated with qigong and their evolution amid social transformation.
Key Findings
The research findings highlight several key dimensions of qigong. First, qigong emerges as a social phenomenon that transcends mere individual practice. As a vector of social interaction, it plays a crucial role in religious revival and in the construction of cultural identity in China. Qigong practices foster the creation of social networks and organizations that bring together a range of actors, from practitioners to medical institutions.
Second, the tensions between the medical and religious components of qigong highlight the issues of legitimation running through this practice. Efforts to demonstrate the scientific effectiveness of qigong go hand in hand with the preservation of its religious elements, revealing a hybrid dynamic. Research protocols and historical-cultural references are used to validate the practices, reflecting a recomposition of knowledge within the tradition.
The master-disciple relationship proves to be a central mechanism in the transmission of qigong knowledge. This relationship not only preserves techniques but also enriches collective knowledge through intergenerational exchange. Variations in practitioners' ethnographic life stories illustrate the diversity of paths and experiences, shedding light on processes of socialization and learning.
Finally, qigong stands as an observatory of social transformation in China, particularly within the framework of economic reform and the interactions between the state and civil society. The practice reflects processes of adaptation to contemporary demands while preserving ancestral roots, illustrating the capacity of traditional knowledge systems to coexist with modern approaches to health.
Discussion and Outlook
The implications of this research extend beyond China's borders, notably within the context of integrative medicine. The diversity of medical practices in West Africa could benefit from a model inspired by qigong, in which traditional and modern knowledge systems meet to address local needs. This approach could foster better integration of alternative health practices into existing health systems.
The complexity of qigong as a hybrid social practice sheds light on the interactions between science and religion, tradition and modernity. Examining these dynamics makes it possible to better understand how practices like qigong help shape cultural identities and contemporary health systems. Social transformations in China, together with globalization, call for a rethinking of the relationships between the various dimensions of health, while raising questions about the sociopolitical implications of these practices.
Research on qigong opens avenues for future studies on the interactions between traditional knowledge and modern medical practices in other cultural contexts. Questions of legitimation, transmission, and the evolution of health practices remain central to understanding the ongoing transformations in contemporary societies.
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Sources and Access
Evelyne Micollier. Un aspect du pluralité médicale en Chine populaire: les pratiques de qigong. Dimension thérapeutique, dimension sociale . Anthropologie sociale et ethnologie. Aix-Marseille Université, 1995. Français. ⟨NNT : ⟩. ⟨tel-01182166⟩