Ageing and Poverty in Africa: Ugandan Livelihoods in a Time of HIV/AIDS FROM THE PUBLISHER
This book aims to inform the reader on the livelihoods of rural elders in developing countries. It does so through describing, in their own words, the lives of the elders of Kikole, a highly impoverished community in rural Uganda. Individual livelihoods are explored from a lifecourse perspective with specific attention given to the problems of older women, and to the continuing and multidimensional erosion of elders' social support networks. The devastating impacts of the current HIV/AIDS epidemic are discussed in a single chapter. The concluding chapters contain an analysis of elders' attempts to maintain their quality of life and their livelihood security, and an exploration of the extent to which contemporary discourses of livelihood security may be usefully applied to the livelihoods of elders. The author asserts that unless these discourses place more emphasis on a lifecourse perspective they may serve to perpetuate the marginalisation of elders rather than to improve their circumstances.
About the Author:Alun Williams, Dr, Program Adviser, Health Services Support Program, Papua New Guinea and adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Australia
SYNOPSIS
Williams (U. of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia) reports research on the elders of an impoverished village in the Masaka District of Uganda. He describes the elder population, their families and their households, and analyzes their livelihood. He also examines the multi- faceted impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on this population, the general vulnerability of the elderly, and their strategic responses to the difficulties they face in trying to meet the needs of their household members. He concludes that the growing population of the elderly in developing countries will continue to live difficult lives without greater attention and aid from the international community. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
FROM THE CRITICS
Tony Barnett
There are very few books dealing with the social and economic impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In this important and carefully researched book, Williams tells us much that is important about that impact on a much-neglected group, the rural elderly. He also opens important general perspectives on the position of elderly people in a poor rural society in Africa. Highly recommended: this should be on the "must read" list of anybody concerned with poverty, ageing and Africa. The book will also be of interest in relation to rural societies beyond Africa.
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