The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has threatened ethnographic inquiry, undermining its quintessential characteristic. Participant observation, then, has been thoroughly dismembered by the radical measures implemented to prevent the spread of the virus. This phenomenon, in short, has dragged anthropologists to a liminal state within which ethnography is paradoxically caught in an onto-epistemological unstable vortex. The question of being here and not there, during the pandemic, is epitomised in the instability of different spatio-temporal contexts that overlap through technological mediations. Reflecting on previous fieldwork experiences and current virtual inquiries with the Shuar of the Ecuadorian Amazon unfolds how COVID-19 has thoroughly reshaped how the author approaches subjects' socio-ecological settings. Against this background, the article argues that corporeal immersion remains a necessary condition for the anthropological scrutiny of multispecies relationalities amidst the challenging times of the Anthropocene. The article nevertheless demonstrates that the intellectual efforts to grasp the different material temporalities of virtual spaces embrace the ethical principles concerning the renunciation of fieldwork with vulnerable communities. Furthermore, a reflective and speculative stance is proposed to actualise the snapshots of faraway physicalities linking them to past embodied and multi-sensory experiences. It is ultimately theorised how these mnemonic devices operate as creative forms of inquiry that overcome the pandemic consequences, extra-stimulating our cognitive capabilities to reflect on prior and possible socio-material interactions.
Based on a discussion of the theoretical contributions of Claude Lévi-Strauss and Pierre Clastres, this article explores social relationships as more than a human dimension. Though strongly analysed by both anthropologists, these relationships appear to involve indigenous societies' whole ecological and cosmological system. In this sense, reciprocity, social cohesion, and exchange can be understood as material and immaterial interrelationships between entities of a more than a corporeal world. I argue, then, that to go beyond the mere anthropocentric conceptualisation of sociality in a nature good to think, we need to holistically conceive the interconnected levels of trophic, socio-structural and socio-cosmic relationships and exchanges between human and non-human beings in the ecosystem.
It is well known the harmful effects that savage capitalism has been causing to the environment since its introduction in a sphere in which a different logic and approach to nature are the essential conditions for the maintenance of the ecosystem and its complex relations between humans and non-human organisms. The amazon rainforest is a portion of the planet in which for thousands of years its human dwellers have been interacting with nature that it is understood beyond its physical condition. Thus, to what extent Amazonian's approaches to nature could be considered as a moral philosophy through which the way of conceptualizing nature and its non-human denizens enhances the continuity of life and the intimate relations between entities? To answer this question, I will explore the cosmological system of the Shuar of the Ecuadorian Amazon with whom I lived for 5 months between July and November 2018, and thereby elucidate the spiritual relations that this society has with the metaphysical domain of nature.
Cultural landscapes represent a complex category where the nature-culture dichotomy seem to not be able to unfold the main features and the profound relations that humans have with the environment. Drawing on ethnographic data collected in the saltpans of Secovlje (Slovene Istria) and Janubio (Lanzarote - Canary Islands) this article examines informant's perceptions about the awareness of the importance and the enhancement of the holistic values of both saltpans, as well as the impacts and benefits of tourism. Comparing these perceptions about both cultural landscapes, I try to suggest that the complex fruitfully relations between humans and nature in these saltpans are at odds with the neoliberal logic of nature which exploit and commoditize its resources depriving them of their respective agency. A sustainability to contrast the harmful activities of the market ought to be understood not as a simply isolation and fencing of nature for the sake of conservation, but as a preservation that need to foster the continuity of the deep interactions between human culture and non-human nature which are the core of the cultural landscapes.
This study aims to examine the impact of education and household income on African American women's perception of HIV risk on PrEP use. Secondary data from the Be-PrEPared dataset on 202 African American women's attitudes toward condom use, biomedical prevention strategies, and risks associated with HIV transmission. African American women with a greater level of education and a perceived risk of HIV were more likely to utilize PrEP than African American women with a lower level of education and no reported risk of HIV. Additionally, women with a higher household income and perceived HIV risk were more likely to use PrEP as well. These associations were still present when taking HIV knowledge into account. It is the job of health practitioners and public health/health education professionals to improve PrEP interventions to be more culturally competent which will make adults more cognizant of the health issues related to HIV infection.
The purpose of this article is to critically examine the story of the number 41 as a queer signifier in Mexican culture from a decolonial perspective, taking into account archival records in the development of hegemonic masculinity in the 20th century. An examination of hegemonic masculinity and homophobia of early 20th century Mexico is provided by reviewing colonial accounts of indigenous sexuality, as well as uncovering the hidden stories of the corrido/ballad of El Baile de los 41 Maricones. The corrido was used as satire to ridicule the homosexual practices by the bourgeoisie, creating a rift between social classes, and allowing the poor to take a higher ground by claiming real masculinity.
The goal of this article is to review the ideas set forth by classic liberal philosophers which contributed to the establishment of democratic values and the institutionalization of reason as a method. The emphasis is to examine the critical ideas which led to the study of natural law and civil society, focusing on freedom, equality, reason, and law. This review will provide social science students the foundational knowledge to understand the goals of human progress as expounded by classic liberal philosophers, as well as understanding reason as inextricable to democracy and the advancement of knowledge. The ideals set forth by the classic liberal philosophers such as Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, and Condorcet, have left a legacy of justice from which we can continue to progress as citizens and students.
Clinical Rheumatology welcomes the African Journal of Rheumatology as an important development for the furtherance of rheumatological scholarship and education on the African continent and for rheumatology research in Africans. It is hoped that this development will in turn raise the profile of rheumatological conditions in Africa and among Africans. In particular, it is hoped that this will lead to the much needed collection of African musculoskeletal epidemiological and health services data, assist in the training of African rheumatologists, help to open up African rheumatology to the global rheumatology community, and ultimately improve the quality of care for myriads of Africans with rheumatic disorders. The current population of Africa is 1,241,858,354 which is equivalent to 16.36% of the total world population based on the latest United Nations estimates [1]. There are many challenges facing Africa including limited financial resources, misuse of finances, malnutrition, poor water, and sanitation among others. Despite these many challenges faced in Africa, in recent times, the continent has undergone rapid economic growth and development. The available healthcare resources are overburdened by the high burden of communicable diseases and the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Rheumatic diseases are therefore not considered a high priority by the various African governments. Part of the reason for this is due to the limited epidemiological data on rheumatic diseases and their burden in Africa. Scientific journals play a central role in the dissemination of research results which will ultimately impact on policy change. Horton et al. [2] noted that researchers and policy makers in developing countries believe that the main way to solve problems of developing countries is by using information from Western research rather than using local data to solve regional problems. He, however, noted that in Africa "there is already a well-developed local information culture that needs support, not swamping," noting, moreover, the lack of African journals in MEDLINE [2]. Researchers in Africa and the developing world require access not only as readers but also as authors: for them to feel part of the global science community, they need not only to obtain information but also to be able to contribute to it and take part in the global discourse. The continent's resources are prioritized towards infectious diseases like HIV and malaria over the now increasing non-communicable diseases. Data on rheumatic diseases in Africa has been limited partly due to lack of infrastructure thus under diagnosis but also due to low scholarly output. Thus, the Africa Journal of Rheumatology was born. Since its inception 5 years ago, it has provided an uninterrupted forum through which medical practitioners and scientists from Africa and beyond can publish their rheumatology research. It has become a rich source of information about rheumatic disorders in the continent and a timely addition to our worldwide rheumatology community [3]. The journal has published various research articles on diseases once thought to be rare in Africa. They range from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, gout, myositis to rheumatology in HIV. Research articles published in the journal shows rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and antiphospholipid syndrome to be increasing in frequency in the indigenous populations of East, West, Central, and Southern Africa [4, 5, 6, 7]. The HIV pandemic has changed the epidemiological spectrum of diseases in Africa. It has led to an increase in a variety of previously rarely seen conditions like spondyloarthropathies, fibromyalgia, pyomyositis, and scleroderma. Various scholars have shared their experiences in the journal [8, 9, 10, 11, 12]. The journal has also provided a forum through which scholars have been able to share their experiences in management of the rheumatic diseases with biologic therapy. The results have been similar to data from around the world [13, 14]. Case reports of rare diseases and review articles have not been left out and have enriched the content of the journal bringing diversity in the articles published. The visibility of the journal is hampered by the low scholarly output. This is in part due to severe limitations in the overall economic development and especially in research infrastructure. Researchers have limited access to funding for research as most African countries have no national agencies that are responsible for research. This is compounded by limitations in scientific writing, designing, and conducting research and in reporting the results. Partnership with international journals like the African Journal Partnership Project is welcome to bridge that gap by training African health researchers to improve the quality and visibility of their research and make the Africa journal of rheumatology a better resource for local researchers and policy makers [15]. This journal has become a site for exchange of knowledge of local rheumatic diseases, research, and debate and providing a forum through which international research can be made applicable to the African set-up. The Africa Journal of Rheumatology encourages international agencies, which conduct research in the region to support the journal through submission of research and subscription to the publication. It is our hope that this journal will provide a big step to bridge the big gaps in rheumatology in Africa.
<i>Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a severe public health and criminal justice issue that disproportionately affects women more than men. This sought to explore Latina experiences of IPV in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). Twelve Latina IPV survivors from the RGV, ages 24 to 40 years old, were interviewed using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Several primary themes were discovered: </i><i>types of abuse; perceived reasons for the abuse; education and economic insecurity; why stay or leave an abusive relationship; the criminal justice system's role; and self-blaming. All participants (n = 12) were college educated and endured IPV victimization at the hands of their male significant others. This study should be replicated on a larger scale to determine if the results are representative of all RGV IPV victims. These findings have implications for positively affecting IPV prevention, services, and interventions to reduce Latina IPV victimizations in the RGV. </i>
El Santuario de la Naturaleza Humedales del río Maullín es un sistema compuesto por diversos tipos de humedales, desde su nacimiento en el lago Llanquihue hasta su encuentro con el océano Pacífico. Su gran estuario constituye uno de los complejos de humedales costeros más diversos de Chile continental. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar la composición y estructura de la comunidad de aves acuáticas presentes en diversos humedales costeros del río Maullín, considerando su variación estacional a lo largo de seis años de estudio. Desde el año 2015 al 2020, se realizaron censos estacionales de aves acuáticas en cuatro humedales costeros del río Maullín: Las Lajas, Laguna Quenuir, Lepihué-La Pasada y Amortajado. En total se registraron 68 especies de aves acuáticas, de las cuales el 70% son residentes y cerca del 30% aves playeras migratorias mayoritariamente de origen boreal. Las mayores dife-rencias en la diversidad de aves acuáticas se obtuvieron al comparar el sitio Laguna Quenuir con el resto de los humedales costeros estudiados. Este humedal presentó una mayor particularidad en la diversidad de aves, por tanto, se recomienda tomar medidas de gestión especiales para su conservación. Por otra parte, los humedales de Amortajado y Las Lajas presentaron valores similares de riqueza y abundancia de aves acuáticas, compartiendo importantes abundancias de aves playeras migratorias como Phoenicopterus chilensis y Limosa haemastica. Los humedales costeros del río Maullín corresponden a uno de los lugares con mayor diversidad de aves acuáticas en el litoral de Chile
