Ebola, Culture and Politics: The Anthropology of an Emerging Disease (Case Studies on Contemporary Social Issues) [Paperback]

Barry S. Hewlett (Author), Bonnie L. Hewlett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 27, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0495009180 | ISBN-13: 978-0495009184 | Edition: 1

In this case study, readers will embark on an improbable journey through the heart of Africa to discover how indigenous people cope with the rapid-killing Ebola virus. The Hewletts are the first anthropologists ever invited by the World Health Organization to join a medical intervention team and assist in efforts to control an Ebola outbreak. Their account addresses political, structural, psychological, and cultural factors, along with conventional intervention protocols as problematic to achieving medical objectives. They find obvious historical and cultural answers to otherwise-puzzling questions about why village people often flee, refuse to cooperate, and sometimes physically attack members of intervention teams. Perhaps surprisingly, readers will discover how some cultural practices of local people are helpful and should be incorporated into control procedures. The authors shed new light on a continuing debate about the motivation for human behavior by showing how local responses to epidemics are rooted both in culture and in human nature. Well-supported recommendations emerge from a comparative analysis of Central African cases and pandemics worldwide to suggest how the United States and other countries might use anthropologists and the insights of anthropologists to mount more effective public health campaigns, with particular attention to avian flu and bioterrorism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 1 edition (November 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0495009180
• ISBN-13: 978-0495009184
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #820,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for Intro students, September 11, 2010

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Evan the Dweezil (A Place-Sort Of, Montana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ebola, Culture and Politics: The Anthropology of an Emerging Disease (Case Studies on Contemporary Social Issues) (Paperback)

This is a great introduction into what medical anthropologists do in the field. It gives a clear and interesting look into African cultures and epidemic illnesses. I especially like this book because it is readable in the sense that it's not caught up in its own cleverness and bogged down with layers of super-academic speak.