Dealing with narratives of vulnerable populations, this book looks at how they deal with dimensions of their social life, especially in regards to health. It reflects the socio-political ecologies like public hostility and stereotyping, neglect of their unique health needs, their courage to overcome adversity, and the love of family and healthcare providers in mitigating their problems. American society likes to give the impression that it is listening to the plight of vulnerable populations, but the stories in this volume prove otherwise.
Table of Contents:
Prologue
Samuel Gyasi Obeng
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Cecilia Sem Obeng & Samuel Gyasi Obeng
Chapter 1. “Foxes Have Dens but I Am Homeless:” On the Lived Experiences of a Homeless Man and His Social Worker
Hannah Kelling
Chapter 2. Living with Ataxia: Nancy and Lisa’s Perspectives
Cassie Kresnye
Chapter 3. Discovering Unspoken Communication: Lived Experiences of a Deaf Person and His Doctor
Mackenzie Jones
Chapter 4. Narratives of Two Immigrant Women about Their Lived Experiences in the United States
Dema Kittaneh
Chapter 5. Living as Black and Brown: Culture and Identity on Holistic Health
Kourtney Ayanna Dorqual Byrd
Conclusion
Samuel Gyasi Obeng & Cecilia Sem Obeng
Epilogue
Samuel Gyasi Obeng
Index
About the Author :
Cecilia Sem Obeng is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Health Science at Indiana University in Bloomington. She has published four books, an edited volume, and over 60 articles.
Review :
“This book demonstrates that the anthropological approach is uniquely suited to uncovering how people live their lives and see their world without imposing judgment… Recommended.” • Choice
“This book’s strength stems from being very interdisciplinary and providing a highly nuanced approach: using “Subjects” own voices to tell their stories is a unique methodology.” • Kwamina Panford, Northeastern University
“The many different stories recount the daily unbearable experiences of people in this community. Each single experience reported in this book represents tens of thousands of closely related cases in the US and abroad.” • Seth Antwi Ofori, University of Ghana
“The editors have compiled a stimulating and thought-provoking collection of narratives … Most importantly they provide context to assist readers in understanding the different narratives.” • Ronald P. Schaefer, Southern Illinois University
