HIV/AIDS and anthropology

FOUR PERSPECTIVES OF ANTHROPOLOGY & AIDS: (Ramin 2018) 1.        Anthropologists as Handmaidens: The Biomedical Paradigm; 2.        Anthropologists as Cultural Experts: The Community Paradigm; 3.        Anthropologists as Political Economists: The Structural Violence Paradigm; 4.        The Future: An Anthropological Synthesis. During the Handmaiden period , anthropologists supported biomedical research without challenging the traditional public health approach. This early paradigm was characterized by a heavily biomedical emphasis and a largely individualistic bias in understanding HIV/AIDS. In the Cultural Expert phase , there was a move away from individual-centric understandings of the epidemic. By the late 1980s it had become clear that a far more complex set of social, structural, and cultural factors mediate the structure of risk in every p...

Buddhist Koan: "Move away from the suffering, more suffering." FILM in two parts: The Business of being born: part 1 The Business of being born: part 2 U.S.   C-section average cost- $14,000 Natural birth- $10,000  $2,250 a night for a hospital stay  Switzerland  C-section- $11,000 Natural birth- $8,200  Australia  C-section- $10,500 Natural Birth- $6,700 Netherlands C-section- $5,000  Natural birth- $3,000  Argentina C-section- $3,200  Natural birth- $2,400  Spain C-section- $3,000 Natural birth- $2,400 Delhi  $240 and can increase when choosing private facilities  South Africa  $2,000 to have a baby in a private sector  These results are averages from 2012: Country Vaginal C-Section Infant Mortality(per 1,00 live births) United States $9,775 $15,041 6 Switzerland $4,039 $5,186 4 France $3,5...

Ayurveda is a  5,000-year-old system of natural healing  that has its origins in the Vedic culture of India. It is one of the seven sister sciences (along with yoga). Although suppressed during years of foreign occupation and British colonial rule, Ayurveda has been enjoying a major resurgence in both its native land and throughout the world. Tibetan medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine both have their roots in Ayurveda. Early Greek medicine also embraced many concepts originally described in the classical ayurvedic medical texts dating back thousands of years. More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life ( Ayur  = life, Veda  =  science or knowledge).  It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential.  Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines,  diet,  behavior and  the proper use of our senses Ayurveda reminds us that h...

THE BODY AND THE NADIS Nadis are pathways of pranic, mental and spiritual currents which form a matrix throughout the physical body. They provide energy through every cell, and organ through their vast network.  Nadis are not physical or measurable but channels of energy which underly and sustain life and consciousness. Out of the  72,000 nadis, 72 are considered important. Out of these 72, 10 are considered to be major. Among the 10 major pranic flows, three are the most significant.  (Situated in the spinal column which pass through every chakra.) Eda  (Mental channel = female; Chandra = lunar/moon nadi)  Pingala  (Vital channel = male; Surya = sun/solar nadi) Sushumna  (Spiritual channel)  The 7 lesser major nadis include: Gandhari  Hastijihva Yashaswini Pusha Alambusha Kuhu Shankhini The three most important nadis are also referred to as the 3 most important rivers in India: Ganga (Eda)  Yamuna (Pi...