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African social workers and psychologists have called for the utility of ubuntu philosophy in the fields of social work and psychology. Ubuntu is an African philosophy that is based on humanness, kindness, communality, socio-structural issues such as social justice, and human rights. This paper explores the philosophy of ubuntu guided by the seven modalities of the multimodal approach, which are behaviour, effect, sensation, imagery, cognition, interpersonal relationships and drugs/biology. The article suggests that ubuntu as an African philosophy has potential to contribute two modalities in addition to the seven modalities in the multimodal approach by the South African psychologist Arnold Lazarus. It argues that ubuntu contributes two domains in assessments and these are as follows: the person-physical environment relationship and the spiritual relationship. Given the emphasis on eco-spiritually informed social work, this paper calls for the adoption of these two modalities for the assessment and intervention plans in social work practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is provided in which the author discusses articles in the issue on topics including counseling in Africa, prediction of academic success in southwestern Nigeria, and the experiences of college students from Ghana who are studying in Great Britain.

We argue in this paper that the urban environmental planning and management literature has paid insufficient attention to the nexus of risk and human psychology in urban dynamics, particularly for the rapidly urbanizing areas of the Global South. We then draw on two household surveys in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to present two empirical examples that incorporate these dimensions, using solid waste management as a contemporary urban environmental challenge. These examples illustrate the sensitivity of behavioral preferences to the framing of risks, and the influence of risk preferences on solid waste behavior. Incorporating such concepts into environmental planning and management research offers the potential to increase understanding of urban dynamics and to improve the environmental quality of life in urban Africa and elsewhere in both developing and developed country settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I discuss the parallels between responses to syphilis in nineteenth century Britain and HIV/AIDS in contemporary Africa. In each case, an incurable disease connected with sexual behaviour aroused fear, stigmatisation and moralistic responses, as well as a desperate scramble to find an effective means of control. In both cases, circumcision of adult males, and then of children or infants, was proposed as the key tactic. In the ensuing debates over the effectiveness and propriety of this approach, three questions occupied health authorities in both Victorian Britain and the contemporary world: (1) Were circumcised men at significantly lower risk of these diseases? (2) If there was evidence pointing to an affirmative answer, was it altered anatomy or different behaviour that explained the difference? (3) Given that circumcision was a surgical procedure with attendant risks of infection, was it possible that circumcision spread syphilis or HIV? I show that in both situations the answers to these questions were inconclusive, argue that circumcision played little or no role in the eventual control of syphilis and suggest that attention to nineteenth century debates may assist contemporary policy-makers to avoid the treatment dead-ends and ethical transgressions that marked the war on syphilis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Based on a two-sided ethnographic study in Accra, this paper analyses Chinese–Ghanaian employment relations from the perspectives of psychological contract, cross-cultural equity expectations and foreignness. Reaching beyond racially framed allegations of each other that are informed partly by politicized media discourses, structural analysis shows that mutually contradictory, culturally grounded expectations regarding their employment relationship are central to the understanding of conflict between Chinese employers and Ghanaian employees. Central to the frictions of mutual equity expectations is the feeling of existential vulnerability that – although particular for each group – is shared by both Chinese migrant employers taking high financial risks in an unfamiliar and potentially hostile environment and their local employees recruited almost exclusively from economically marginalized groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global health has become an increasingly prominent component of foreign policy in the last decade. The term health diplomacy has been used to describe this growing interface between foreign policy and global health, and it encompasses both the concept of using health to further foreign policy objectives as well as the idea that diplomatic tools can be helpful for attaining public health goals. The Chinese presence in Africa has grown in the last 15 years, generating increased interest in Sino-African relations. While much has been written in recent years about the Chinese presence in Africa, the growing numbers of Africans in China have attracted considerably less attention. Many are small-scale traders and might be expected to face many of the health challenges common among foreign migrants, but their health needs have been largely unrecognised. In this paper, we consider how a health diplomacy approach could be applied to African migrants in China, and the potential advantages and limitations of this strategy. We identify areas of overlap between public health, trade and foreign policy goals that can be emphasised to generate support for improved services for African migrants in China and to engage partners from a diversity of sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the limits of national discussions on gender equality in Rwanda from the perspectives of disabled young women. Based on 16 in-depth interviews and three focus group interviews with disabled Rwandan young women, this article points out that the barriers to gender equality are interpersonal and institutional. The empirical analysis reveals that gender biases at Rwanda's largest inclusive secondary school are reinforced by wider cultural and religious norms, which endorse the subordination of disabled girls and young women in school. The study suggests that the equality rhetoric/reality gap will remain in Rwandan schools and society if the wider cultural and religious institutions are not examined and transformed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the importance of inclusive employment, described in Goal 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities in Africa is lower than among the general population. Objective: The aim of this scoping review is to explore evidence related to the barriers to and facilitators of employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities in Africa. Methods: A literature search was conducted using six relevant electronic databases of articles published between 1990 and 2017. Results: Eight studies were identified and analysed regarding barriers and facilitators of employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities. The dynamic adaptation of the bio-psycho-social model was used as an analytical framework. Identified barriers include ill health, (anticipated) psychiatric illness, social stigma and discrimination, negative attitudes among employers and the lack of social support and government welfare. Facilitators of employment include stability of mental illness, heightened self-esteem, a personal decision to work despite stigma, competitive and supported employment, reduction in social barriers/stigma and workplace accommodations. Conclusion: Employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities is essential, yet there is dearth of scientific evidence to identify contextual models that might be useful in African countries and other low-and middle countries (LMICs). This gap in information would benefit from further research to improve the employment rates of persons with psychiatric disabilities in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents research exploring the conceptualization and practice of supervision during social worker training in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, Francophone West African countries whose social work education frameworks and processes are nearly absent in the academic literature. Drawing upon discursive analyses of training curricula as well as interviews and group discussions undertaken in 2014 with professors, administrators, and students, this study notes the centrality of fieldwork to training and heavy reliance upon faculty-field liaisons in both countries. Conceptually, supervision policy in these contexts emphasizes compliance: systematized visits by institute administrators to fieldwork sites (in Burkina Faso), regimented simulation exercises, and formal performance evaluations to gauge student progress. In practice, however, respondents were likely to highlight the importance of modelling and coaching, indicating the hybridization of ‘harder’ regulatory supervision with ‘softer’ mentoring approaches. This study contributes to global learning about the role of supervision in social work training by analyzing its theory and practice in two understudied countries, highlighting the emergence of new norms of practice within outmoded regulatory frameworks. The research shines light upon the creative ways that social work administrators are improving supervision of social work students’ fieldwork in low-income countries with limited public resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few effective communication interventions to respond to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks, and their development is a continuing challenge. The largest outbreak of EVD was first recognized in 2014 and once again highlighted the need for health education communication campaigns. EVD emergence and transmission are associated with behaviors that increase exposure to infected individuals and infected wildlife. In 2008–2009, an educational video-centered intervention consisting of a film followed by a structured discussion was developed to improve EVD knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KABs) for prevention of EVD and care of infected people. The film was produced for a Congolese audience in local languages and features doctors and residents from the region. The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of this intervention to change KABs related to EVD. The intervention was conducted over 12 months and reached >60,000 people; 220 individuals were sampled before and immediately after the intervention, and a subsample of 53 who had received the intervention 1 year earlier were interviewed to assess changes in KABs related to EVD. Statistically significant improvements in EVD recognition, transmission, and mitigation of risk after the intervention were observed. This study also demonstrates significant retention of knowledge one year after the intervention. Overall, the intervention was effective in improving KABs among a limited literacy population and knowledge was retained for more than one year. The materials and approaches developed were used in 2014 as part of a social mobilization strategy in response to an Ebola outbreak in the Congo Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reports a qualitative study that explored South African conceptions and enactment of life purpose. Data collected using semi-structured interviews with 25 first-year university students (female = 56%, age range = 18–25) offer a unique insight into African young adults’ conceptions of life purpose. From a phenomenological analysis emerged interconnected themes that show these participants’ thoughts about purpose reflect an African worldview: a purposeful life involves ethical living in the present that contributes to one’s family’s and community’s collective future not just one’s own individualistic needs; and purpose is a spiritual endeavor connecting a person to God that lives with and among people. Although these college students gave conceptions of purpose, most had not manifested those purposes into action. Educational implications focus on how universities may have an opportunity to help students find venues to engage their purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This qualitative project is focused on the challenges that newcomer athletes revealed when they considered their earliest encounters with a receiving culture during general daily life. Conversational interviews with 24 national and international amateur newcomer athletes were subjected to interpretive thematic analysis and developed into a composite vignette. This vignette unearths three themes revealing hope (theme: opportunities abound); uncertainty and fear (theme: weighing the risks for the journey ahead); and anger, humiliation, and hardening (theme: public stonings). Understanding the fluidities within the vignette will permit practitioners to explore the uncertainties of acculturation and find entry points to support athlete acculturation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Autonomy gives women the ability to negotiate safe sex and make decisions on their health. This study explores the gender stratification framework to understand the intertwined nature of HIV and women’s autonomy using the nationally representative Demographic Health Survey. It examines women’s autonomy and attitudes toward condom use for prevention of HIV/AIDS in four culturally diverse countries. Findings from the logistic regression indicate that labor force participation, individual autonomy, and decision making significantly increased the odds of always using a condom during sex in all countries. Promoting prevention policies highlighting women’s autonomy may contribute in reducing the spread of HIV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Newly recognised as a threat to global peace and security, sexual violence in conflict is now a fixed item on international security agendas. This marks significant progress for women, gender equality and the integrity of peace programmes. Our aim here, however, is to reflect upon the risks that inhere in this accomplishment. Through the concept of 'sexurity', a tripartite amalgam of the securitisation of sexual violence, the sexualisation of security, and the language of crisis, we outline the adverse effects of tethering sexual violence to security. This article concerns itself with the material and symbolic effects of 'sexurity' for eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It first outlines 'sexurity' and the context of its emergence before, drawing on fieldwork in eastern DRC, the second part underlines the effects of 'sexurity' for the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During an emerging health crisis like the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, communicating with communities to learn from them and to provide timely information can be a challenge. Insight into community thinking, however, is crucial for developing appropriate communication content and strategies and for monitoring the progress of the emergency response. In November 2014, the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative partnered with GeoPoll to implement a Short Message Service (SMS)–based survey that could create a link with affected communities and help guide the communication response to Ebola. The ideation metatheory of communication and behavior change guided the design of the survey questionnaire, which produced critical insights into trusted sources of information, knowledge of transmission modes, and perceived risks—all factors relevant to the design of an effective communication response that further catalyzed ongoing community actions. The use of GeoPoll’s infrastructure for data collection proved a crucial source of almost-real-time data. It allowed for rapid data collection and processing under chaotic field conditions. Though not a replacement for standard survey methodologies, SMS surveys can provide quick answers within a larger research process to decide on immediate steps for communication strategies when the demand for speedy emergency response is high. They can also help frame additional research as the response evolves and overall monitor the pulse of the situation at any point in time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study analyzes findings from a rapid-response community-based qualitative research initiative to study the content of Ebola-related communications and the transmission of Ebola-related behaviors and practices through mass media communications and social learning in Monrovia, Liberia during August–September 2014. Thirteen neighborhoods in the common Monrovia media market were studied to appraise the reach of health communications and outreach regarding Ebola prevention and response measures. A World Health Organization (WHO) research team collected data on social learning and Ebola knowledge, attitudes, and practices through focus group–based discussions and key informant interviews over a 14-day period to assess the spread of information during a period of rapidly escalating crisis. Findings show that during a 2-week period, Monrovia neighborhood residents demonstrated rapid changes in beliefs about the source of Ebola, modes of contagion, and infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, discarding incorrect information. Changes in practices tended to lag behind the acquisition of learning. Findings also show that many continued to support conspiracy theories even as correct information was acquired. The implications for community engagement are substantial: (1) Under conditions of accelerating mortality, communities rapidly assimilate health information and abandon incorrect information; (2) Behavior change is likely to lag behind changes in beliefs due to local physical, structural, sociocultural, and institutional constraints; (3) Reports of “resistance” in Monrovia during the Ebola response were overstated and based on a limited number of incidents, and failed to account for specific local conditions and constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to investigate the experiences of six African immigrant mothers living in the United Kingdom with a child diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The mothers took part in one-off, semi-structured interviews. Four themes were identified: caring for a child we did not expect, the pain of stigma and rejection, frameworks of meaning, and negotiating conflicting cultural beliefs. Many aspects of the mothers’ experiences appear related to their position as immigrants from cultures with contrasting belief systems regarding child development and disability. Conflicts between African cultural beliefs and a western, medical understanding of ASD appeared to create a feeling of cognitive dissonance for the mothers. The strategies used to negotiate this appear to map onto Berry’s acculturation strategies, suggesting that the experience of having a child with ASD impacts upon the acculturation process. Implications for clinical practice and policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent years, HIV/AIDS programming has been transformed by an ostensibly ‘new’ procedure: male circumcision. This article examines the rise of male circumcision as the ‘right’ HIV prevention tool. Treating this controversial topic as a ‘matter of concern’ rather than a ‘matter of fact’, I examine the reasons why male circumcision came to be seen as a partial solution to the problem of HIV transmission in the twenty-first century and to what effect. Grounded in a close reading of the primary literature, I suggest that the embrace of male circumcision in HIV prevention must be understood in relation to three factors: (1) the rise of evidence-based medicine as the dominant paradigm for conceptualising medical knowledge, (2) the fraught politics of HIV/AIDS research and funding, which made the possibility of a biomedical intervention attractive and (3) underlying assumptions about the nature of African ‘culture’ and ‘sexuality’. I conclude by stressing the need to expand the parameters of the debate beyond the current polarised landscape, which presents us with a problematic either/or scenario regarding the efficacy of male circumcision. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article critically addresses the view thatubuntuvalues limiting freedom of expression to what elders find agreeable. I present a heterogeneous argument in favor of an attractive conception ofubuntuthat values individuals by investing in the worth of community. I assume that socioeconomic development is directly related to the extent to which people are granted freedom of expression. The point is that freedom of expression enables everyone to be respected and governed in ways that are associated with the establishment of communities where everyone can be the most they can be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-being of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS is often significantly compromised, as they are prone to discrimination, victimization, and exclusion from social and familial structures. The present study examines the effect of HIV/AIDS on children's attitudes toward learning, as perceived by teachers and caregivers. Teachers and caregivers from seven orphanage schools in Western Kenya participated in the study. The findings indicate how children orphaned as a result of AIDS arrive at orphanages with low expectations, lack of motivation, and poor attitudes toward learning, and how they benefit from a positive and supportive environment. The study contributes to the literature on children's physical, emotional, psychological, social, and academic experiences worldwide by adding to knowledge on the educational needs of children in difficult circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

HIV testing and counselling are a critical intervention to support treatment access and prevent new infections. Despite high rates of infection, few young Africans know their HIV status. With the aim of informing initiatives that encourage HIV testing and access to testing benefits, this study seeks to understand how young Africans make sense of HIV testing. We conducted thematic narrative-based analysis of a stratified random sample (n= 586, ∼5%) from 11,354 narratives written in 2005 by males and females aged 10–24 from six sub-Saharan African countries for the ‘Scenarios from Africa’ scriptwriting contest which invites young people to contribute ideas for short films about HIV. The factors represented by the young authors as influencing testing behaviour and outcomes are complex and interactive, indicating that interventions that are not contextually appropriate are unlikely to affect a shift towards increased testing or improved post-testing outcomes. The narratives point to opportunities to increase HIV testing in this demographic. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

At home and abroad we face the seemingly intractable problem of fundamentalist ideology, racism, and tribal violence tearing apart the human fabric. Here I propose that paying attention to innate psychological processes can make a difference. I work with individuals and communities suffering the posttraumatic consequences of war and violence in crisis areas of eastern Congo, northern Uganda, South Sudan, and western Kenya. I have observed that unresolved posttraumatic issues lead to intergenerational transmission of trauma, which, in turn, feeds future cycles of war, violence, and discrimination. In the spirit of prevention, it is essential that the international community prioritize attention to the psychological perspectives involved in human rights issues. Here I develop elements of a holistic systems approach to dealing with large-scale posttraumatic crises afflicting communities and the culture at large. I pay special attention to cultural interfaces and what C. G. Jung called thecultural dimensionof the psyche. In fieldwork I blend digital photography and psychotherapeutic approaches to transcend personal and cultural layers of reference and rekindle the struggle of giving birth to one's future. In a Cameras without Borders workshop a survivor of sexual violence in the eastern Congo said, “The camera is pregnant.” Such metaphors function to shatter limitations of the traumatized mind. Dissociation is the hallmark of psychological trauma as well as of the fundamentalist condition. I view developing a capacity for curiosity and mutuality not only as central to the treatment of trauma but also as an antidote to the ills and sclerosis of a fundamentalist mindset, which is the source of much human suffering. Curiosity inspires action, and mutuality invites caring about social justice and peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article calls for papers on the psychology of indigenous healing in Africa.

The article presents abstracts on children's mental health topics which include psychosocial adjustment of children's whose parents have multiple sclerosis, attachment insecurity, and the link between sports participation and self-esteem.

Considers implications of research in African Studies for the psychological science of self and identity. Enemies for the concept of interdependent selfways; Identity for the concept of dynamic construction; Active reproduction of cultural identity in everyday lives.

The article cites a study which focuses on the race attitudes of a dominated group. Dominative behaviour is delined as the technique of responding to others by which a person resists differences, resists change and growth. This study is concerned exclusively with the professional African. In spite of the widely varying backgrounds revealed in this study, the Africans have all converged upon the same goal. The African is not without considerable psychological resources of his own when called upon to deal with the situation created for him by the dominative behaviour of the European. His awareness of group-belongingness makes it possible for him as an individual to confront the situation secure in the knowledge that his group provides him with a ground on which he can take his stand. His awareness of group-apartness enables him to bring into play all those powerful social attitudes that maintain the distinct identity of the in-group while challenging the pretensions of the out-group. His awareness of a group heritage and a group tradition, however over-evaluated, sentimentalized and distorted they may be, provides him with a set of cultural values in which he can take a pride and which he does not owe to the European.

Migration of African-trained health workers to countries with higher health care worker densities adds to the severe shortage of health personnel in many African countries. Policy initiatives to reduce migration levels are informed by many studies exploring the reasons for the original decision to migrate. In contrast, there is little evidence to inform policies designed to facilitate health workers returning home or providing other forms of support to the health system of their home country. This study explores the links that South African-trained health workers who now live and work in the United Kingdom maintain with their country of training and what their future migration plans may be. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with South African trained health workers who are now living in the United Kingdom. Data extracts from the interviews relating to current links with South Africa and future migration plans were studied. All 16 participants reported strong ongoing ties with South Africa, particularly through active communication with family and friends, both face-to-face and remotely. Being South African was a significant part of their personal identity, and many made frequent visits to South Africa. These visits sometimes incorporated professional activities such as medical work, teaching, and charitable or business ventures in South Africa. The presence and location of family and spouse were of principal importance in helping South African-trained health care workers decide whether to return permanently to work in South Africa. Professional aspirations and sense of duty were also important motivators to both returning and to being involved in initiatives remotely from the United Kingdom. The main barrier to returning home was usually the development of stronger family ties in the United Kingdom than in South Africa. The issues that prompted the original migration decision, such as security and education, also remained important reasons to remain in the United Kingdom as long as they were perceived as unresolved at home. However, the strong residual feeling of identity and regular ongoing communication meant that most participants expressed a sense of duty to their home country, even if they were unlikely to return to live there full-time. This is a resource for training and short-term support that could be utilised to the benefit of African health care systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]