AIDS, South Africa, and the Politics of Knowledge (Global Health)

✍ Scribed by Jeremy R. Youde

• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 166
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Through an in-depth examination of the interactions between the South African government and the international AIDS control regime, Youde examines not only the emergence of an epistemic community but also the development of a counter-epistemic community offering fundamentally different understandings of AIDS and radically different policy prescriptions. In addition, individuals have become influential in the crafting of the South African government's AIDS policies, despite universal condemnation from the international scientific community. This study highlights the relevance and importance of Africa to international affairs. The actions of African states calls into question many of our basic assumptions and challenges us to refine our analytical framework. Ideally suited to scholars interested in African studies, international organizations, global governance and infectious diseases.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 6
List of Tables......Page 8
Acknowledgments......Page 10
List of Abbreviations......Page 12
The Paradox of AIDS Policies in South Africa......Page 14
The AIDS Epidemic in Perspective......Page 18
AIDS Policies in South Africa......Page 22
Plan of the Book......Page 26
2 Knowledge and International Policymaking......Page 28
Knowledge as Strength: Power-based Theories......Page 29
Knowledge through Incentives: Interest-based Theories......Page 32
Is AIDS in the Government’s Interest?......Page 34
Understanding Self and Other: Knowledge-based Theories......Page 38
Epistemic Communities......Page 40
Science, Democracy, and Policy-relevant Knowledge......Page 43
Civic Science......Page 48
Civic Science and AIDS......Page 49
History, Identity, and Epistemic Communities......Page 51
Oversights in the Epistemic Communities Approach......Page 53
What is a Counter-epistemic Community?......Page 56
Epistemic and Counter-epistemic Communities......Page 59
Conditions Giving Rise to Counter-epistemic Communities......Page 61
Objection #1: This Concept Only Applies to South Africa and/or AIDS......Page 64
Objection #2: Counter-epistemic Communities are Identical to Interest Groups......Page 66
Objection #3: Any Counter-epistemic Community will eventually Disappear......Page 68
Conclusion......Page 69
4 History and Public Health in South Africa......Page 72
State Public Health Responses in an Historical Context......Page 73
Infectious Disease, Public Health, and Colonialism......Page 75
Inoculation Campaigns: Rinderpest and Influenza......Page 77
Bubonic Plague, Tuberculosis, and Apartheid......Page 80
Public Health during the Apartheid Era......Page 82
Early Responses to AIDS in South Africa......Page 85
Conclusion......Page 88
5 Identity, AIDS, and Public Health in South Africa......Page 90
The African Renaissance......Page 91
Virodene, Alternative Therapies, and International Pharmaceutical Companies......Page 94
Explaining South Africa’s Position to the World......Page 100
AIDS in a Broader Identity Context......Page 104
Conclusion......Page 108
Roots and Beliefs of the AIDS Counter-epistemic Community......Page 110
Peter Duesberg......Page 116
David Rasnick......Page 118
The Perth Group......Page 119
Matthias Rath......Page 120
Credentials and Expertise......Page 121
AIDS Dissidents in Actions......Page 122
Denialism as Policy?......Page 126
Democracy, Liberation, and Racism......Page 129
Influence Waning?......Page 132
Conclusion......Page 133
7 Conclusions and Implications......Page 136
Review of Previous Chapters......Page 137
Counter-epistemic Communities and Policy Relevance......Page 138
Conclusion......Page 141
Works Cited......Page 144
B......Page 162
E......Page 163
M......Page 164
R......Page 165
Z......Page 166