An Ethnographic Portrait of Botanicas in San Bernardino, CA

This presentation describes an ethnographic study on Botanicas, Latino traditional health stores in San Bernardino, CA. The purpose of the study was to gain a better understanding of the role of Botanicas in the broader health care services delivery system and add to the current limited body of literature on the subject. A Grounded Theory approach was used to generate theoretical categories that guided the analysis of field data. The research focused on various Botanicas that provided access to the investigators. The final product consists of a photo journal with data collected via participant observation and descriptive photography. This visual account of Botanicas and those who use them will be published and shared with stakeholders interested in community health. The information gathered from this research is used to support current efforts that exist in San Bernardino, CA to increase awareness of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among health care professionals. The need for greater awareness and collaboration between the traditional and professional communities is not new, but has proven to be an elusive goal. Increased understanding and awareness of these community health resources can also be used in future education efforts targeting health professionals.