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Great Culture as a Sure Social Determinant of Health

Lyfas Great Culture as a Sure Social Determinant of Health How Indian Culture and Festivals Help to Remain Healthy by Becoming Happy

Why India has been one of the most populated countries in the world historically? Why India has attracted the world for such a long period of time? Why India is the least affected by the pandemics historically? Is there a correlation between Culture and Health?

Genealogy Root To Social Culture and Health

Makar Sankranti Rangolis

Genealogy​1​ studies reveal that some of the most important parts of our gene’s surviving ability, healing ability, the well-being of our biological self are:-

  • Social Acceptance
  • Touch
  • Identity
  • Connection to Self.

We are social animals. Evolutionary studies suggest that most of what we do, we do to be more socially accepted and relevant.

Impact of Cultural Fesivals on Health

Experiencing events together as a family can facilitate collective memory creation, familial bonding, and create thick sociality or ‘we-relationships’ and can therefore enhance a family’s QOL in the long term.

Allan Jepson et. al.​2​

There have been few researches where the researchers have investigated the effect of social bonding during festivals. Researchers have found that when we humans experience a group event together, it makes us happy.

Hormone and Neroscience in Social, Cultural and Festive Activities

Oxytocin affects social memory in multiple brain regions, including the olfactory bulb, lateral septum, ventral hippocampus, and amygdala, in nonhuman primates. These and other studies suggest the potential of oxytocin to also promote prosocial behaviors and enhance social cognition in humans​3​.

Structure of the brain. Neuroscience. Image by Dana Foundation(used here for educational purpose). The image shows different regions of the brain.

Therefore Oxytocin is released when we participate in socio-cultural events, and celebrate festivals together. Because Oxytocin receptors are higher in our pre-frontal cortex part of the brain, such events help us connect pre-frontal cortex to other parts of the brain.

You may be already knowing that pre-frontal cortex is our cognitive epicenter. This means that Cultural events improves our cognitive and emotional health alike. Also note that, if pre-frontal cortex doesn’t get activated, we react to situations by our Amygdala, more than responding to the situations. Reacting to any and every situation increase our anxiety. Hence, festivals play a major role in reducing our anxiety too.

Most of the festivals from the ages have been this occasion of social connections. People perform rituals and participate in such festivals. Cultures, help us to connect to our roots. We feel being part of an ongoing tribe and therefore we feel safe. We feel that for ages, these practices and festivals have given us an identity.

Indian Festival Case Study:- Makar Sankranti

Art on the other hand is a form of creativity that brings out the child in us and helps us be connected to our own self.

In Makar Sankranti, families clean their households including Angan(the entrance to the house). In Karnataka, females create a special art form called Rangoli. Rangoli is an art created with chalk or rice powder.

The festival of Sankranti, the artistic Rangolis, positive vibe all together makes us happy and helps us heal.

Always take time and opportunity to celebrate the festivals. Whether you are religious or not is insignificant. If you want to be healthy, then you have to be happy. Happiness needs social health.

References

  1. 1.
    Kretsedemas P. Genealogy: Inaugural Editorial. Genealogy. Published online January 29, 2016:1. doi:10.3390/genealogy1010001
  2. 2.
    Jepson A, Stadler R, Spencer N. Making positive family memories together and improving quality-of-life through thick sociality and bonding at local community festivals and events. Tourism Management. Published online December 2019:34-50. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2019.05.001
  3. 3.
    Jones C, Barrera I, Brothers S, Ring R, Wahlestedt C. Oxytocin and social functioning. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. Published online June 30, 2017:193-201. doi:10.31887/dcns.2017.19.2/cjones

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER All of the material on this site is intended as educational information only in regards to alternative, and personalized healthcare options available to healthcare consumers. The advice on this site is intended solely for informational and educational purposes and is NOT intended to replace your doctor. Please consult a medical professional if you have questions about your health.