Sickle Cell Disease Social Construction and Appropriation

This is a multidimensional study of sickle cell anaemia, a chronic hereditary disease. The research topic, entitled 'Social construction and appropriation of a chronic disease: Sickle-cell anaemia in the district of Bamako', lies at the heart of the anthropology of social change and development and deals with issues relating to illness, health and recovery. The methodological approach combines qualitative and quantitative methods to grasp both popular conceptions or practices and the factors favouring the appropriation or disappropriation of chronic illness. The book also looks at the attitudes of patients/users and carers towards each other. The analysis revealed that sickle cell disease is influenced by social representations of the cultural environment, the personality of individuals, their educational background, social interactions, and geographical and economic factors.