Singing Through Celebration and Separation: - PowerPoint Presentation

1. Singing Through Celebration and Separation:The Role of Traditional Folk Songs in the Health of Rural Women in Kangra District, Himachal PradeshYumeng ZhangSIT India: Public Health, Gender, and Community ActionIf a longer period of time was allotted for this study, it would have been possible to investigate further into songs of empowerment and community action. It would be valuable to collect and transcribe more regional folk songs, and work with the local women to analyze their content. These songs are intertwined into the community and the women’s lives; therefore, they should have a voice in uncovering these song’s messages. Transcribing and writing down these songs is a way of preserving their wilting traditions. Additionally, folk songs should be analyzed for their ability to distribute public health information, either through small community initiatives of theatre groups or widescale governmental education programs. AcknowledgementsHealing through Folk Songs“Songs are the beauty of the community.” As a woman of the household, she must balance the many responsibilities between her work and home, while each burden takes a larger toll on her health. As these women maneuver such a demanding workload, they must find solace in small activities that help keep them sane. For many of them, singing regional folk songs is therapeutic, helping them relieve their stress and divert their thoughts. Singing helped them forget their worries and tensions related to their work and home life. These songs are an emotional outlet, a channel for expelling their emotions and alleviating a fraction of their emotional burden.Many Voices, One SoundAt celebrations and ceremonies, groups of women gather around and sing together, spreading joy and happiness through music. When they sing in a group, they share their feelings and support each other. Perhaps more important than these songs themselves is their power to bring together people of different backgrounds, stories, and experiences. Sung in their regional language, these songs are a symbol of their lived experiences. While they navigate through the hardships of being a woman in rural India, they rely on their support circles to remind them of their shared strength and humanity. Women breathe life into their songs, and in turn, their songs breathe life back into them. ConclusionA small window into the lives of rural village women, folk songs paint a holistic picture of their personal narrative. Women are the backbone of rural agrarian society— juggling different responsibilities in their house, work, and community. Their songs capture pieces of their lives that are unable to be portrayed in simple prose, such as their emotions, hardships, and relationships. While most interviewees had previously never thought about the connection between music and health, they were able to share their own experiences and perceptions regarding the role of music in their healing practices. Through their narratives, more became uncovered about the role of music on the community level and the individual level. This study found that individually, singing folk songs provides relief from stress, an outlet for emotions, and overall happiness and joy. On the community level, folk songs create an opportunity for members of the village to build stronger relationships and become more interconnected.Within the traditional songs themselves are reservoirs of information about women’s lives, such as their life-cycle events including marriage and childbirth, their relationships between family members, and their connection with the surrounding environment. Albeit historically silenced and oppressed, women are regaining their voice by singing and expressing their emotions. Although these melodies are fading from women’s memories, it might be time for a new wave of music created by women with messages of empowermentRecommendationsIntroductionMusic, known as a universal language, holds the ability to transcend our differences in background, culture, and experiences. The effects of music on the mind, body, and soul have been studied and confirmed, such its ability to regulate moods and emotions. As a social process, music plays an important role in fostering community while creating a shared musical experience. Specifically in the Indian context, the role of an indigenous therapeutic practice of satsang, singing religious folk songs in a group, has been demonstrated to improve the well-being of women in rural areas of India, specifically by helping women feel more empowered and stress-free, nurturing interpersonal relationships, and encouraging the formation of social groups that provide support in times of sorrows and happiness (Singh, 2014).Across cultures, folk songs are a window into a specific community by reflecting different aspects of tradition, customs, rituals, aspirations, values, and attitudes. Folk songs earn a position in society because their content satisfies psychological and social needs— they provide endless relief to the singers as well as the community as a whole (Capila 2002). Performed during ceremonies, rituals, feasting, and work, songs provide diversions from the everyday monotony of life. Not only do they reduce the tedium of hard work, but they also provide an outlet for suppressed emotions and desires that cannot be expressed in words. Despite the evidence of the beneficial effects of music worldwide, very few studies have been conducted specifically on the role of folk songs in the health of individuals and the community.ObjectiveNestled in the hills of the Western Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh has rapidly transformed into one of the fastest growing states in India. With 90% of the population living in rural areas, agriculture serves as the primary source of income and employment in the state. In Himachal Pradesh, female farmers are the backbone of all agricultural practices, playing a vital role in all economic and crop production activities. From sowing and harvesting, to dairy and post-harvest management, women farmers complete about 80% of the field work in agriculture (Yojana 2018). Although women are essential to the agricultural sustainability of the region, they are historically undervalued and exploited. Indispensable to life in Kangra, women juggle multiple roles as the laborer, wife, and mother. However, they are rarely recognized for their invaluable work. When considering the physical and emotional hardships that rural village women face, it becomes evident to study their coping mechanisms and practices of healing.  BackgroundResearch for the independent study project was conducted over a four-week period in nine rural villages outside of Dharamshala. Data was collected through fifteen semi-structured ethnographic interviews that gathered the participant’s personal information, knowledge, and experiences surrounding traditional practices of folk songs. Additionally, several excerpts from regional folk songs were translated and transcribed to be further analyzed for their underlying messages.Interviews were conducted verbally, both one-on-one and in group settings that included up to six women. Due to the language barrier, a translator helped to facilitate the interview process, translating questions from English to Hindi, and responses back to English. Informed consent was obtained from all study participants through verbal consent. Each participant received a brief overview of the purpose of the study and were asked for verbal consent to the interview, an audio recording of the interview, and video of singing if applicable. All fifteen study participants agreed to the audio recording of the interview.Interviews were conducted in various settings: the participant’s home, workplace, a workshop, or at a neighboring house in the same village. Only women were selected for the study, as they are the primary active transmitters of traditional folk songs. The targeted age range of participants was intended to be 40-65 years of age, but this was largely expanded when potential participants outside of the age range were found with vast knowledge of local traditional folk songs.MethodologyCategories of Folk Songs1. Songs of Life-cycle events/Celebration a. Childbirth  i. Before delivery - Gathering of family, friends, and neighbors ii. During delivery - Songs about labor pains and herbal remedies iii. After delivery a. Naming Ceremony (Guntar) b. Hair-Shaving Ceremony (Mundan) 2. Songs Reflecting Social Relations a. Mother/Daughter relationship b. Mother-in-law/Daughter - Songs express feelings of isolation and resent c. Husband/Wife - Songs about separation, longing, loneliness3. Songs of the Environment a. Monsoon Music (Barsate) - Sung in groups while farming during harvest season b. Kangra songs - Landmarks and features of the environment ResultsThis cross-sectional study explores the role of traditional folk songs in the health of women living in rural Dharamshala in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh. The purpose of this research is to examine the potential of folk songs to understand the lives of women in rural Dharamshala from the perspective of their health. This study will explore the research question: How do folk songs communicate information about women’s health and their position in society, and what are their perceived effects of singing on their health? Through the lens of regional folk music, this study aims to examine the impact of social and cultural factors on women’s health. In the context of a modernizing world, folk music has changed and evolved. This study will also investigate the impact of globalization and modernization on traditional folk songs.Effect of singingSource of happinessEmotional outletStress relief/relaxationDiversion from negative thoughtsPass timeIncrease productivityBond with groupFraction of participants(n = 15)1.01.01.00.670.50.271.0Perceived Effects of Singing Folk SongsDiscussionThis study would not have been possible without the support many wonderful people. Thank you to the staff of Jagori Grameen, my ISP advisor Navneet ji, my amazing host families, and all of the SIT India staff, Archana ji, Bhavna ji, Goutam ji, Abid ji, and Azim ji- I miss you with all of my heart.