SJAAK VAN DER GEEST is Emeritus Professor of Medical Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam. He has done fieldwork in Ghana and Cameroon on a variety of subjects including sexual relationships and birth control, the use and distribution of medicines, popular song texts, meanings of growing old, and concepts of dirt, hygiene and defecation. He founded the journal 'Medische Antropologie' and was its editor-in-chief from 1989 until 2012. He was assistant editor of several other journals in the field of medical anthropology.
... The Art of Medical Anthropology READINGS edited by Sjaak van der Geest & Adri Rienks ... more ... The Art of Medical Anthropology READINGS edited by Sjaak van der Geest & Adri Rienks Het Spinhuis 1998 This One SGBB ... Cover design: Jos Hendrix Lay-out: Hanneke Kossen Het Spinhuis Publishers, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 185, 1012 dk Amsterdam, The Netherlands ...
... Anthropology & Medicine, 8(2): 14962; 14. 2002a Themes in Medical Anthropology. Special ... more ... Anthropology & Medicine, 8(2): 14962; 14. 2002a Themes in Medical Anthropology. Special double issue AM Revista della Societa Italiana di Antropologia Medica 13/14 (together with J. Comelles); 15. 2002b Walking stories. An oddnography of mad people's lives. ...
In 1971 and 1973 I carried out anthropological fieldwork in Kwahu-Tafo, a rural town of about 5,0... more In 1971 and 1973 I carried out anthropological fieldwork in Kwahu-Tafo, a rural town of about 5,000 inhabitants on the Kwahu plateau in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The first research project was a case study of the family I was staying with; the second was on ideas and practices concerning sex and birth control. As usual in anthropological research, my attention was drawn to many other things around me. One of these was Highlife. This short essay discusses the texts of some Highlife songs, which intriguingly related to my experiences in the field. It was impossible not to be struck by the importance of Highlife in the dreariness of daily life in Ghana. In the evenings large groups of young people assembled in front of the local bar to dance and listen to Highlife, the sounds of which resounded over the town. Many of the youngsters sang the texts along with the music. The typically empty interior contrasted strangely with the crowd outside. They were attracted not only by the music but also by the light—the bar was the only place in town with electricity. And, of course, it was the place to meet members of the opposite sex. Women and children were present to sell bread, tea, fried plantains, and other snacks. Around 10 p.m. the bar usually stopped the music; the lights went off, and the people dispersed. I became curious to know what the songs were about. Although I had learned some Twi, I was not able to understand them, so I asked someone to translate one text for me. The content aroused my interest and I decided to collect more Highlife texts. Various people helped me: school pupils, teachers, university students, and others. After recording the songs I had them transcribed in Twi and then translated into English.
1re partie : Diversité, migration, accompagnement et mourir, 2021
Cet essai examine deux changements importants que subissent le mourir et la mort dans le monde pl... more Cet essai examine deux changements importants que subissent le mourir et la mort dans le monde pluriforme et sécularisé d’aujourd’hui. Le premier changement met en scène l’autonomie, les souhaits d’autonomie nourris pendant la vie s’étendant désormais au moment et à la manière de mourir. L’euthanasie permet à une personne d’éviter la condition douloureuse et difficile qui précède la fin de vie. Un second changement majeur est que ceux qui meurent et ceux qui restent peuvent nourrir des croyances et des attentes différentes concernant ce qui se passe au moment de la mort et après. Dans le monde chrétien, par exemple, les rituels plutôt uniformes qui étaient pratiqués avant et après la mort ne reflètent plus les croyances d’un grand nombre de personnes confrontées à la mort aujourd’hui. Ce bref essai explore l’imbrication de ces deux évolutions relatives à la mort et au mourir dans la société actuelle, en mettant l’accent sur le pays de l’auteur, les Pays-Bas.
... The Art of Medical Anthropology READINGS edited by Sjaak van der Geest & Adri Rienks ... more ... The Art of Medical Anthropology READINGS edited by Sjaak van der Geest & Adri Rienks Het Spinhuis 1998 This One SGBB ... Cover design: Jos Hendrix Lay-out: Hanneke Kossen Het Spinhuis Publishers, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 185, 1012 dk Amsterdam, The Netherlands ...
... Anthropology & Medicine, 8(2): 14962; 14. 2002a Themes in Medical Anthropology. Special ... more ... Anthropology & Medicine, 8(2): 14962; 14. 2002a Themes in Medical Anthropology. Special double issue AM Revista della Societa Italiana di Antropologia Medica 13/14 (together with J. Comelles); 15. 2002b Walking stories. An oddnography of mad people's lives. ...
In 1971 and 1973 I carried out anthropological fieldwork in Kwahu-Tafo, a rural town of about 5,0... more In 1971 and 1973 I carried out anthropological fieldwork in Kwahu-Tafo, a rural town of about 5,000 inhabitants on the Kwahu plateau in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The first research project was a case study of the family I was staying with; the second was on ideas and practices concerning sex and birth control. As usual in anthropological research, my attention was drawn to many other things around me. One of these was Highlife. This short essay discusses the texts of some Highlife songs, which intriguingly related to my experiences in the field. It was impossible not to be struck by the importance of Highlife in the dreariness of daily life in Ghana. In the evenings large groups of young people assembled in front of the local bar to dance and listen to Highlife, the sounds of which resounded over the town. Many of the youngsters sang the texts along with the music. The typically empty interior contrasted strangely with the crowd outside. They were attracted not only by the music but also by the light—the bar was the only place in town with electricity. And, of course, it was the place to meet members of the opposite sex. Women and children were present to sell bread, tea, fried plantains, and other snacks. Around 10 p.m. the bar usually stopped the music; the lights went off, and the people dispersed. I became curious to know what the songs were about. Although I had learned some Twi, I was not able to understand them, so I asked someone to translate one text for me. The content aroused my interest and I decided to collect more Highlife texts. Various people helped me: school pupils, teachers, university students, and others. After recording the songs I had them transcribed in Twi and then translated into English.
1re partie : Diversité, migration, accompagnement et mourir, 2021
Cet essai examine deux changements importants que subissent le mourir et la mort dans le monde pl... more Cet essai examine deux changements importants que subissent le mourir et la mort dans le monde pluriforme et sécularisé d’aujourd’hui. Le premier changement met en scène l’autonomie, les souhaits d’autonomie nourris pendant la vie s’étendant désormais au moment et à la manière de mourir. L’euthanasie permet à une personne d’éviter la condition douloureuse et difficile qui précède la fin de vie. Un second changement majeur est que ceux qui meurent et ceux qui restent peuvent nourrir des croyances et des attentes différentes concernant ce qui se passe au moment de la mort et après. Dans le monde chrétien, par exemple, les rituels plutôt uniformes qui étaient pratiqués avant et après la mort ne reflètent plus les croyances d’un grand nombre de personnes confrontées à la mort aujourd’hui. Ce bref essai explore l’imbrication de ces deux évolutions relatives à la mort et au mourir dans la société actuelle, en mettant l’accent sur le pays de l’auteur, les Pays-Bas.
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