Final paper

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4-2 Project Preparation: Ethnographic Analysis

Deanna Buchanan

Southern New Hampshire University

IHP 501: Global Health and Diversity

Dr Esther Johnstone

May 10, 2023

4-2 Project Preparation: Ethnographic Analysis

Interacting with members of a foreign population can be challenging, especially if one has no prior information regarding its socio-cultural, economic, and political dynamics. The humanitarian aid trip to Zambia will require constant interactions with the Zambian population. To facilitate efficient interactions leading to the resolution of the malaria problem, it is vital to carry out an ethnographic analysis of this population. This paper presents an ethnographic analysis covering the areas of ethnicity, stakes, meaning of illness, social stressors, and impacts.

Ethnicity

Zambia has a population of approximately 19.5 million people with 72 ethnic groups (Ya, 2018). The top three ethnic groups are Bemba (21%), Tonga (13.6%), and Chewa (7.4%) (Ya, 2018). This African country has a thriving Asian community that largely comprises Chinese and Indian people. Also, Zambia has a few European/white immigrants, most of whom immigrated into the country after being exiled from their farms in Zimbabwe. Due to the infiltration of the West, the traditional culture and customs of Zambia have significantly declined. The diversity of Zambia’s culture makes the country one of the friendliest nations on earth. Although English is the official language, Bemba and Nyanja are the main local languages. The country is also predominantly Christian but is accepting of other religions due to its diversity.

Stakes

The malaria health issue presents significant stakes for the Zambian population. With the majority of Zambians living below the global poverty line, poverty prevents many individuals from accessing high-quality healthcare services (Mphuka, Kaonga, & Tembo, 2022). Also, women are the primary caregivers for people that contract malaria (Willis & Hamon, 2020). As for health literacy, only 24.5% of females and 46.5& of males had high health literacy (Schrauben & Wiebe, 2019). Such inequality trends mean that the disease limits the productivity and income of the general population.

Meaning of Illness

According to Jumbam et al. (2020), there are significant misconceptions regarding the transmission of malaria, which implies that there are notable knowledge gaps in how people are being sensitized and educated about the disease. For instance, there are those who think they can only get the disease during the rainy season while others think it can be sexually transmitted (Jumbam et al., 2020). More so, others think that become immune once they recover from the disease. Such misconceptions hinder the fight against malaria.

Social Stressors

Biologically, malaria can cause physical pains such as headaches and low back pain. These may limit the physical capabilities of the affected individuals and may worsen depending on a person's age. Psychologically, getting malaria can bring about short-term anxiety and depression as the patient worries about his/her well-being and overall loss of productivity, especially if he/she has dependents. Sociologically, malaria will have more adverse effects on people with low economic status, limiting cultural beliefs, and minimal social/family support.

Impacts

As aforementioned, Zambia is a highly friendly country to foreigners due to its diversity. Consequently, the relationship between the patients and the humanitarian aid workers will likely be positive. Based on previous humanitarian efforts, the population is likely to consent to treatment/prevention efforts and trust the aid workers as healthcare providers (Besiou, 2021).

Conclusion

This paper has presented an ethnographic analysis covering the areas of ethnicity, stakes, meaning of illness, social stressors, and impacts. It is clear that the Zambian population has certain limiting factors that prevent most of the citizens from accessing high-quality care, for instance, inequality and poverty. However, humanitarian efforts are likely to be warmly welcomed due to the diversity of the nation and their receptive nature towards foreign influence.

References

Besiou, M. (2021). Humanitarian operations and the UN sustainable development goals.  Production and Operations Management,  30(12), 4343-4355.

Jumbam, D. T., Stevenson, J. C., Matoba, J., Grieco, J. P., Ahern, L. N., Hamainza, B., ... & Achee, N. L. (2020). Knowledge, attitudes and practices assessment of malaria interventions in rural Zambia.  BMC Public Health,  20(1), 1-15.

Mphuka, C., Kaonga, O., & Tembo, M. A. (2022). Economic growth, inequality, and poverty: Estimating the growth elasticity of poverty in Zambia, 2006–2015. In  Inequality in Zambia (pp. 83-119). Routledge.

Schrauben, S. J., & Wiebe, D. J. (2019). Health literacy assessment in developing countries: A case study in Zambia.  Health Promotion International,  32(3), 475-481.

Willis, D. W., & Hamon, N. (2020). Potential impact of eradicating malaria on gender inequality within agricultural households in sub-Saharan Africa.  Gates Open Research,  4(114), 114.

Ya, P. L. (2018). The principle ‘One Zambia, One nation’: fifty years later.  Social Evolution & History,  17(1), 60-75.