Strings Attached

AIDS and the Rise of Transnational Connections in Africa

Edited by Nadine Beckmann, Alessandro Gusman, and Catrine Schroff

A British Academy Publication

Proceedings of the British Academy

Each chapter presents an in-depth case study of one African country
Together the chapters build into a picture of East, West and Southern Africa
Unique focus on transnational connections in relation to the HIV/AIDS pandemic
Gives historical perspective on AIDS and the West's religious engagement in Africa

Strings Attached

AIDS and the Rise of Transnational Connections in Africa

Edited by Nadine Beckmann, Alessandro Gusman, and Catrine Schroff

A British Academy Publication

Proceedings of the British Academy

Description

Religion has become deeply involved in HIV/AIDS treatment, care and prevention, and is substantially influencing attitudes and behaviour in the domains of sexuality, relationships and the body. At the same time, AIDS as a disease, as a field of biomedicine, and as a realm of international aid interventions is heavily affecting socio-religious formations and developments in Africa. Religion and AIDS are transforming African public and private domains together.

Yet, scant attention is paid to the ways in which this intertwined engagement between the domains of religion and the domains of AIDS prevention, care, and treatment in African societies become increasingly linked to an outside world. This book seeks to address the question why so much of the transnational religious engagement with the disease has seemed to serve a conservative agenda. It is unique in drawing attention to the transnationalisation of religion and AIDS in Africa. The disciplinary scope for studying this phenomenon is wide-ranging as it speaks to anthropological, sociological, developmental, historical, and religious studies, and global health perspectives on these issues.

Introducing concepts from the study of transnationalism into the study of religion and AIDS and their mutual intertwinement, this book offers the various fields which explore how religious ideologies and moralities have been shaping the experience of AIDS in Africa a new set of conceptual tools for analysis.

The multi-disciplinary, empirical chapters from a wide range of localities shows how African public domains are being shaped by forces that are transnational, steered by forceful religious and moral agendas, and often have substantial international resources behind them. These are, so the authors argue, the strings attached to the present-day transnational, religious involvement with AIDS in Africa.

Strings Attached

AIDS and the Rise of Transnational Connections in Africa

Edited by Nadine Beckmann, Alessandro Gusman, and Catrine Schroff

A British Academy Publication

Proceedings of the British Academy

1. Strings Attached: AIDS and the rise of transnational connections in Africa, NADINE BECKMANN, CATRINE CHRISTIANSEN, ALESSANDRO GUSMAN AND RIJK VAN DIJK
Part 1: Transnational Relations and Conservative Agendas
2. Sponsored Sexuality, AIDS and Tough Choices, CHRISTINE OBBO
3. Hands across the Sea: Religion, politics, gender and sex, in the US and Africa, BROOKE GRUNDFEST SCHOEPF
4. From an Activist's Point of View: Experiencing transnational dynamics among African migrant communities in the UK, IJEOMA AJIBADE
5. Global Moralities, Local Responses: Interpreting sexual morality and social belonging in Uganda, JOANNA SADGROVE
Part 2: Transnational Power and Local Agency
6. Transnational Religious Networks Encounter Community Realities: HIV prevention in Zambia, AMY PATTERSON
7. Condoms, Pills and Professional Identity: The transnational ART Scale-up Project and Catholic HIV/AIDS counsellors in Uganda, LOUISE MUBANDA RASMUSSEN
8. Contested Sexualities and Shared Concerns: Power dynamics in a transnational network of faith-based organisations, BRENDA BARTELINK AND ERIK MEINEMA
9. 'I don't want to hear': HIV, AIDS and the power of words in Bushbuckridge, South Africa, ISAK NIEHAUS
Part 3: Transnational Ideas and Local Discourses about Sexuality
10. 'If you cannot control yourself': Christian leaders as HIV preventers in Malawi, ANAIS BERTRAND-DANSEREAU
11. Let's talk about sex: Islam and sexuality in positive Muslims' 'Theology of compassion', JONAS SVENSSON
12. The Choice of Health: Christian family planning among cosmopolitan educated professionals in times of HIV/AIDS in Botswana, ASTRID BOCHOW
Part 4: Transnational Identities and Homosexuality
13. 'Decadent Imports', 'Vile Abominations': (Under)developing discourses on male- male sex and the missionary position in Buganda, 1875-1910, LINDSAY EHRISMAN
14. A Backlash of the Hegemony of Human Rights Discourse and Transnational Moralities: The Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill, ALEXANDRA MULLER
15. The Mode of Transmission that Dare not Speak its Name: Islam, AIDS and the public secret of homosexuality in Northern Nigeria, JACK UME TOCCO
Epilogue
16. Strings, Strains and Strides of Transnational Competence: Complex ambiguities, RIJK VAN DIJK

Strings Attached

AIDS and the Rise of Transnational Connections in Africa

Edited by Nadine Beckmann, Alessandro Gusman, and Catrine Schroff

A British Academy Publication

Proceedings of the British Academy

Author Information

Nadine Beckmann, Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of Roehampton,Alessandro Gusman, Research Fellow, University of Turin,Catrine Schroff, Research Fellow, Centre of African Studies, University of Copenhagen

Contributors:

Nadine Beckmann
Catrine Christiansen
Alessandro Gusman
Rijk van Dijk
Christine Obbo
Brooke Grundfest Schoepf
Ijeoma Ajibade
Joanna Sadgrove
Amy Patterson
Louise Mubanda Rasmussen
Brenda Bartelink
Erik Meinema
Isak Niehaus
Anaïs Bertrand-Dansereau
Jonas Svensson
Astrid Bochow
Lindsay Ehrisman
Alexandra Müller
Jack Ume Tocco