Product Description
This collection argues for a new conceptualization of intellectual disability that stresses its cultural variability and social construction, and deemphasizes its medicalized, physiological nature. It is aimed at disability specialists in social anthropology, sociology, social policy, and psychology, and at the broader health/medical anthropology audience. It is novel and radical in its treatment of intellectual disability not purely as an inherent property of individuals, but also as a social phenomenon. ... Read more

Product Description
353 pages. ... Read more

Product Description
Cultural values provide the context in which we act and negotiate regarding new ideas. When culture can be mobilized, it has the potential to serve as a resource in fighting poverty and facilitating development.

The studies reported in "Cultural values and development in Uganda" are both theoretically interesting and practically applicable. Individual level values are shown to be directly related to whether people participate or not in projects that enable them to move out of poverty.

Community level values can either enhance the effectiveness of attempts to promote development, or clash with and frustrate these attempts. Social capital is another important factor: its far-reaching effects can help to explain differences in the degree of development and the conditions required for change.

The research confirms the hypothesis of a Black African cultural profile, shared by Uganda, as well as that of differences between the value systems of developing countries and those of Northern donors and NGOs. The conflict and strain that is apt to result is a serious opportunity cost.The authors consider the implications for cultural change in Uganda. ... Read more

Product Description
Africa Time depicts the experiences and observations of two scholars who spent two years teaching at Makerere University in Uganda from a literary, religious and political point of view. It assesses the cultural, political, and educational prospects of contemporary Uganda, often challenging the preconceptions of typical western thought in regard to the future of Africa. It exposes the resilience, resourcefulness, and hospitality of Uganda's people as they recover from a tragic postcolonial history and shows the growing strength of the family, churches, and markets in response to the turnaround taking place. Most prominently, the authors show the deepening awareness of cultural complexity as time exposes their assumptions and political attitudes associated with the African people through very personal observations and responses. Other topics covered include conditions of learning and life at the university; the roles, expectations, and education of women; "tribalism" African- and American-style; the politics of language and the language of politics; the complex riches of hospitality codes and the delicate boundaries and networks of intercultural friendships; the natural and human ecology of Africa's wildlife preserves; American literature in Ugandan context; and the critical and prophetic role of African writing. ... Read more