Witches, Westerners, and HIV : AIDS & cultures of blame in Africa / Alexander Rodlach.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rödlach, Alexander.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Medical anthropology--Zimbabwe.

Medical anthropology.

AIDS (Disease)--Zimbabwe--Public opinion.

AIDS (Disease).

HIV infections--Zimbabwe--Public opinion.

HIV infections.

Conspiracies--Zimbabwe.

Conspiracies.

Witchcraft--Zimbabwe.

Witchcraft.

Public opinion--Zimbabwe.

Public opinion.

Zimbabwe--Social life and customs.

Zimbabwe.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (259 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

AIDS and cultures of blame in Africa

Place of Publication:

Walnut Creek, CA : Left Coast Press, c2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

A witch's curse, an imperialist conspiracy, a racist plot-HIV/AIDS is a catastrophic health crisis with complex cultural dimensions. From small villages to the international system, explanations of where it comes from, who gets it, and who dies are tied to political agendas, religious beliefs, and the psychology of devastating grief. Frequently these explanations conflict with science and clash with prevention and treatment programs. In Witches, Westerners, and HIV Alexander Rödlach draws on a decade of research and work in Zimbabwe to compare beliefs about witchcraft and conspiracy theor

Contents:

Investigating sorcery and conspiracy

HIV/AIDS as personal experience

The sorcery paradigm

A sorcerer's servant-being

Infidelity and sorcery

Conspiracy paradigms

Conspiracy theories involving healthcare providers

Conspiracy theories involving westerners

Comparing theories of blame

Applications for the AIDS crisis.

Notes:

First published 2006 by Left Coast Press.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-237) and index.

Description based on metadata supplied by the publisher and other sources.

ISBN:

1-315-41571-2

1-315-41572-0

1-315-41573-9

1-59874-749-5

9781315415734

OCLC:

711747402