Ebola, culture, and politics : the anthropology of an emerging disease / Barry S. Hewlett, Bonnie L. Hewlett.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hewlett, Barry S., 1950-

Contributor:

Hewlett, Bonnie L. (Bonnie Lynn), 1961-

Series:

Case studies on contemporary social issues

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Epidemics--Social aspects--Africa.

Epidemics.

Ebola virus disease--Social aspects--Africa.

Ebola virus disease.

Medical anthropology--Africa.

Medical anthropology.

Social aspects.

Epidemics--Social aspects.

Africa.

Physical Description:

viii, 183 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Belmont, CA : Thomson, [2008]

Summary:

The case studies in this new, acclaimed series illustrate the great value of anthropology in understanding and addressing problems faced by human societies around the world. Each case study examines an issue of socially recognized importance in the historical, geographical, and cultural context of a particular region of the world and includes comparative analysis to highlight not only the local effects of globalization but also the global dimensions of the issue. With readable narrative styles and an engagement with people that goes beyond that of observer and researcher, these anthropologists describe how their work has implications for advocacy, community action, and policy formation.

Contents:

1 Images and First Contact 1

What is Ebola? 3

First Contact 6

What is Culture? 13

Key Questions 15

What's New? 17

2 Outbreak Ethnography: The Anthropologist's Toolkit 19

Field Conditions 19

The Relationship between Theory and Methods 26

What Did We Do m the Field? 32

3 Indigenous Knowledge about Epidemics: Uganda 2000-2001 37

Background on Ugandan Outbreak 38

Cultural Models 41

Issues of Concern to National and International Teams 54

Intracultural Variability 59

4 Providing Humanitarian Care: Congo 2003 63

Background on Congo Outbreak 64

First Days in the Field 66

Cultural Models 69

Issues of Concern to National and International Teams 77

Intracultural Variability 85

5 Facing Death and Somatization: Healthcare Workers and Survivors 89

Nurses and Other Healthcare Workers 90

Survivors 98

6 Ebola Outbreaks, Past and Present 103

Yarnbuku, DR Congo (1976) 103

Kikwit, DR Congo (1995) 105

Yambio, Sudan (2004) 109

7 Outbreak Control 111

Beliefs and Practices within the Community 112

Beliefs and Practices from Outside the Community 124

8 Explaining Human Responses to Acute High-Mortality Epidemics 131

Anthropological and Historical Studies of Human Responses to Epidemics 131

An Evolutionary Biocultural Model 138

9 Policy, Bioterrorism, and Bird Flu 153

Policy Issues 154

Ebola as a Bioterrorist Weapon and the Threat of a Bird Flu Pandemic 158

Reflections 164.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-177) and index.

ISBN:

9780495009184

0495009180

OCLC:

192022377