Destabilising myths of origin: Collaborative storytelling and biopolitical communities in Wajdi Mouawad's Le Sang des promesses

French Cultural Studies ◽

10.1177/09571558211048404 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 095715582110484

Author(s):

Nicholas A Strole

Keyword(s):

Time And Space ◽

Origin Stories ◽

Diverse Backgrounds ◽

Diverse Communities

This article analyses how diverse communities are formed through storytelling and mythmaking in Wajdi Mouawad's theatrical tetralogy, Le Sang des promesses (1999–2009). Mythic origin stories, which Mouawad's migratory characters collect and share on their journeys from one community to the next, draw individuals from their pasts on stage to act out the events from each narrative. Mouawad thus reveals how the theatre can serve as an ideal venue for spectators from diverse backgrounds to gather and experience the various conditions many migrants face. Drawing on Roberto Esposito's biopolitical theory of communitas and Lévi-Strauss's structuralist analysis of myth, this article argues that collaborative storytelling and mythmaking allow Mouawad's migratory characters to cross various types of borders and form unexpected communities that defy barriers of time and space.

Download Full-text

The Place of Birth: Wodaabe Changing Histories of Origin

History in Africa ◽

10.2307/3172165 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 29 ◽

pp. 283-307

Author(s):

Kristín Loftsdóttir

Keyword(s):

Cultural Context ◽

Tape Recorder ◽

Ethnographic Research ◽

Place Of Birth ◽

Time And Space ◽

History And Memory ◽

The Past ◽

Origin Stories ◽

The One ◽

Memory Group

Two children came out of the water and they made a grass house (suurel) and stayed at that place. Later, some cows came out of the water and stayed during the evening with the children. And then the children migrated (gurgiisi, a short migration movement). The cows followed the children every place they went because the children had made them fire (Loose translation: tape transcript 1997).His voice is difficult to understand; he is an old man. Sitting on a mat placed on the sand beneath his chair, I listen carefully, even though I know that my tape recorder will later help me in reconstructing his speech. His narrative is not unfamiliar and in fact it is almost surprising to me the similarity to WoDaaBe origin narratives that I have seen on print.My discussion here focuses on WoDaaBe origin stories from the perspective of histories as being socially meaningful, integrated into political contexts. Ethnographic research among the WoDaaBe has reflected rather similar stories of origin as the one presented here, focusing on the WoDaaBe as originating in a mythical way, along with their cattle. My own research in the Tchin-Tabaraden area in Niger in 1996-98 indicated, however, that even though the narratives documented earlier by travelers and anthropologists are known, people were generally more interested in reciting and discussing stories strongly grounded in time and space. In my approach, I follow Jan Vansina's comment that “all messages have some intent which has to do with the present, otherwise they would not be told in the present” (Vansina 1985:92). Similarly, Ellen Basso has pointed out in relation to narratives, that it is not enough to ask, “what is a story about;”whyit was told must be questioned as well (Basso 1995:x). I also contribute from theorists that have emphasized history itself as a political phenomenon formulating relations between past and present (Popular Memory Group 1982:240), making how the past is understood relevant to the present political-cultural context, without reducing it to merely functional justification for the present (Werbner 1998:2). History and memory thus have a texture that is both social and historic (Bommes et al., 1982:256), intertwined with power and meaning.

Download Full-text

“It is not an acceptable disease”: A qualitative study of HIV-related stigma and discrimination and impacts on health and wellbeing for people from ethnically diverse backgrounds in Australia

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10679-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Anna Ziersch ◽

Moira Walsh ◽

Melanie Baak ◽

Georgia Rowley ◽

Enaam Oudih ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Service Providers ◽

South Australia ◽

Ethnically Diverse ◽

Service Access ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Stigma And Discrimination ◽

Diverse Backgrounds ◽

Diverse Communities ◽

Related Stigma ◽

Living With Hiv

Abstract Background People from ethnically diverse backgrounds living with HIV are susceptible to adverse health and wellbeing outcomes, particularly as a consequence of HIV-related stigma and discrimination (HSD), though relatively little is known about experiences in Australia. Methods This paper reports on HSD in ethnically diverse communities in South Australia and impacts on health and wellbeing. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 10 individuals living with HIV from ethnically diverse backgrounds, 14 ethnically diverse community leaders, and 50 service providers. Data were analysed thematically. Results Findings indicated that HIV is a highly stigmatised condition in ethnically diverse communities due to fear of moral judgment and social isolation, and was experienced at the intersections of gender, sexual orientation, religion, culture, and immigration status. Experiences of HSD were damaging to health and wellbeing through non-disclosure, reduced social support, delayed testing, service access barriers, impacts on treatment adherence, and directly to mental health. Conclusions Actions addressing the impacts of HSD on people from ethnically diverse backgrounds are crucial.

Download Full-text

Health Communication: Implications for Diverse Populations

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds18.1.12 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 12-19

Author(s):

Amy Hasselkus

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Communication ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Good Health ◽

The United States ◽

Poor Health ◽

Health Care Decisions ◽

Diverse Backgrounds ◽

Health Related

The need for improved communication about health-related topics is evident in statistics about the health literacy of adults living in the United States. The negative impact of poor health communication is huge, resulting in poor health outcomes, health disparities, and high health care costs. The importance of good health communication is relevant to all patient populations, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Efforts are underway at all levels, from individual professionals to the federal government, to improve the information patients receive so that they can make appropriate health care decisions. This article describes these efforts and discusses how speech-language pathologists and audiologists may be impacted.

Download Full-text