Caring for the People of the Clouds - Aging and Dementia in Oaxaca (Paperback)

In rural Mexico, people often say that Alzheimer's does not exist. ""People do not have Alzheimer's because they don't need to worry,"" said one Oaxacan, explaining that locals lack the stresses that people face ""over there"" - that is, in the modern world. Alzheimer's and related dementias carry a stigma. In contrast to the way elders are revered for remembering local traditions, dementia symbolizes how modern families have forgotten the communal values that bring them together. In Caring for the People of the Clouds, psychologist Jonathan Yahalom provides an emotionally evocative, story-rich analysis of family caregiving for Oaxacan elders living with dementia. Based on his extensive research in a Zapotec community, Yahalom presents the conflicted experience of providing care in a setting where illness is steeped in stigma and locals are concerned about social cohesion. Traditionally, the Zapotec, or ""people of the clouds,"" respected their elders and venerated their ancestors. Dementia reveals the difficulty of upholding those ideals today. Yahalom looks at how dementia is understood in a medically pluralist landscape, how it is treated in a setting marked by social tension, and how caregivers endure challenges among their families and the broader community. Yahalom argues that caregiving involves more than just a response to human dependency; it is central to regenerating local values and family relationships threatened by broader social change. In so doing, the author bridges concepts in mental health with theory from medical anthropology. Unique in its interdisciplinary approach, this book advances theory pertaining to cross-cultural psychology and develops anthropological insights about how aging, dementia, and caregiving disclose the intimacies of family life in Oaxaca.

General

Imprint:	University of Oklahoma Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	March 2019
Authors:	Jonathan Yahalom
Foreword by:	Xavier E Cagigas
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 22mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	256
ISBN-13:	978-0-8061-6304-8
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > Psychology > General Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Ethnic studies > General Books > Medicine > Other branches of medicine > Clinical psychology > General Books > Medicine > Nursing & ancillary services > Nursing > Community nursing Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Anthropology > Social & cultural anthropology > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social groups & communities > Age groups > Adults > Elderly Books > History > American history > General Books > Academic & Education > Varsity Textbooks > Nursing
LSN:	0-8061-6304-6
Barcode:	9780806163048

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