Africa

HAS 3190

Cape Verde

Language

• Creole and Portuguese

Migration

• U.S. whaling industry

• Famine at home

• Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut

• 400,000

Spiritual traditions

• Catholic

• Protestant

Family

• Center of lives

• Elders

• Women

• Neighbors

Diet

• Katxupa (manchupa)

Illness and Death

• God’s will

• Disabled protected

• Active in teaching

• Empowering patients

Implications

• Parents with children

• Visits from parents

• Intimidated

• Adults and children

• Internal sadness

• Expressive

• Wakes and funerals

Traditional Medicine

• Curanderas or curiosas

• Difluxan

• Konta d’odju

Other issues

• Blood– Sleeping (Sangi durmidu)– Dead (Sangi mortu)– Bruised (Sange pezode)

• Living Blood (Sangi vivu)

Ethiopia

Language

• 80 dialects

• Amharic

Migration

• Repressive regime (mid-1970s)

• Political turmoil in East Africa

Spiritual traditions

• Orthodox (Coptic)

• Muslim

Family

• Women/girls

• Large families

• High divorce

• Elders (“aunt” or “uncle”)

Diet

• No meat, eggs or milk (Wed or Fri)

• No poultry, beef or dairy before Easter

• Muslims and Ramadan

Attitudes

• Illness is a punishment

• Mental illness = evil spirits

• Spirits in individuals

• Healing appeases the spirits

• Evil Eye

Cultural courtesies

• Elders and hand shakes

• Right hand for “clean” work

• Muslim men and women don’t touch

Communication Patterns

• Doctors and bad news

• No middle name

Traditional medicine

• Newborn care

• Older men

• Fire burning– Stick heated and applied to skin

• Herbal remedies

• Prayer

Female Circumcision

• Genital mutilation

• Many believe– Defines sexual and social identity– Doesn’t allow for sexual pleasure– Promotes health

Other relevant issues

• Don’t understand withholding treatment

• News of pending death

• Spanking children

Somalia

Language

• Somali

• Arabic

Migration

• Escape wars (1991)

• Resettlement programs

Religion

• Sunni Muslim

Other issues = Ethiopia

• Family

• Diet (Muslim)

• Cultural courtesies

• Traditional medicine

• Issues relevant to hospitalization

Bush Medicine

• Herbal medicine

• African-Caribbean culture– Fever bush– Toothache bush

• 70% of world’s population uses herbal medicine

Sangoma

Sangoma

• Practitioner of herbal medicine

• Belief in ancestral spirits – calling

• Trainee = Twaza

• Ritual sacrifice

Traditional Healers

• Zulu, Swazi, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Venda, Tsongo/Shangaan ethnic groups

• Holistic and symbolic form

• Ancestors give instructions

Guidance in Three Forms

• Possession

• Throwing bones

• Dreams

Possession

• Trance– Drumming– Dancing– Chanting

• Provides specific information

Throwing bones

• Collection of bones• Ancestors control how they lie

Dreams

• Metaphors

Muti

• Plant and animal origin

• Powerful symbolism– Lion fat = courage

• Can be drunk, smoked, inhaled, used for washing, smeared, enemas or rubbed into an incision

Sangomas

• Far outnumber western doctors

• Consulted first (80%)

• Charlatans

South Africa

Health Care

• Large public sector

• Small private sector

• Primary – hi-tech

• Nearly 200 private hospitals

• Mining industry has 60 of its own

• District-based health system

Video

Kwanzaa

• African American and Pan-African• Dec 26 – Jan 1• First harvest – “matunda ya kwanza”

Kwanzaa

• Ingathering of people• Reverence for creator• Commemoration of past• Recommitment to culture• Celebration of Good

Seven values – Nguzo Saba

• Umoja (Unity)

• Kujichagulia (Self-determination)

• Ujima (Collective work and responsibility)

• Ujamaa (Cooperative economics)

• Nia (Purpose)

• Kuumba (Creativity)

• Imani (Faith)