Comiendo cosas de no comer.Tentativas antropológicas en torno a la Pica

Identifier:  TDX:4502

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX4502

Authors:  Lamora Giral, Òscar

Abstract:
The present study propases an anthropological approach to the human consumption of substances culturally characterized as non-edible, or allotriophagy, and of Pica as its form of medical sanction. To this end, we have conducted a review of this dietary practice based on the analysis of historical documents and available scientific literature, as well as an ethnographic approach that has taken into account health professionals and individuals who engage in this type of consumption; focusing mainly on the social profile of the agents involved, the type of substances consumed, their categorization, and the forms of cultural sanction. Throughout our research, we have been able to observe the scarcity of anthropological studies focused on this subject, as well as the great disparity of scientific arguments produced regarding its approach and definition. One of the most significan! findings has been the scarcity of patients diagnosed by healthcare systems. We believe that the study of this nosological category, as a load 'anomaly,' can provide us with insights into the logics that determine our dietary practices