Read: Farmer, AIDS and Accusation

1. The central argument of Farmer's book is that understanding AIDS in Haiti requires attending to history and political economy. Specifically, he argues that AIDS in Haiti is a story of connections to the US and of poverty. How? In what ways does his account of AIDS challenge other explanations for the prevalence of the illness?

2. Farmer writes in the preface that several non-Haitian readers of drafts of this book felt that the history section (Part IV) could be abridged or deleted. He kept it in. Why does he see it as central to the story? Why do you think others might not have agreed? How important do you think history is to understanding AIDS in Haiti?

3. What are the key details in the three life stories of people with AIDS? What role do issues of age, gender, class, region, and religion play in their accounts and in how others perceived them?

4. What role does sorcery play in Haitian villagers' accounts of AIDS and in non-Haitian explanations of where AIDS came from?

5. How does Farmer challenge the explanation that AIDS came to the US from Haiti? Why do you think that explanation has proven so popular? Does Farmer effectively prove it to be false?

6. To those who claim that medicine is about objective biological facts of illness, the body, and healing, how might Farmer's book suggest otherwise? How might medicine be connected to history and culture? As residents of the US, what is our personal responsibility for the spread of AIDS?

Journal Entry #5: Hermeneutic of Generosity (due in class on February 28 and by email to aleshkow[at]holycross.edu).

Farmer suggests that one apply a "hermeneutic of generosity" to different Haitian accounts of AIDS that other, non-Haitians (including many of his readers) might dismiss as false. For this journal entry, pick a Haitian explanation of AIDS that you personally find to be factually false. Explain the account and try to analyze it through Farmer's idea of a "hermeneutic of generosity." What analytical benefits does Farmer's approach afford? Did it alter your perceptions of explanations for AIDS? In short, what do we learn by taking seriously accounts that at first glance might seem patently false, but which might nonetheless afford important insight?

For more information, contact: aleshkow@holycross.edu