Review
“This book is important. It goes beyond crude dichotomies about gender and describes the subtleties of male gender identity, sexuality and sexual expression in a place where how maleness is acted out can determine life expectancy and the fate of a man’s sexual partners and his children. Here we have a sensitive and thoughtful account of masculinity in Zambia derived from unique field work over almost 25 years.”--Tony Barnett, London School of Economics and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
“This book is a stunning demonstration of how ethnography can illuminate the vital issues of our time. With extraordinary sensitivity and deep understanding, Anthony Simpson shows us sides of Zambian men's intimate lives that we have simply never seen before. The deep contextual understanding this study provides should be a revelation to AIDS researchers, and is also sure to be important for a broad range of scholars with interests in youth, masculinity, and sexuality.--James Ferguson, Chair of Anthropology, Stanford University
"An intriguing study of maleness in the context of Africa and the HIV/AIDS epidemic." --CHOICE
Book Description
The AIDS epidemic has afflicted Sub-Saharan Africa disproportionately, affecting every aspect of culture and society. In this intimate, longitudinal study Anthony Simpson analyzes the lives of a group of men who studied together at a Catholic mission school in Zambia and explores how the risk of HIV infection has shaped sexual practices. Boys to Men in the Shadow of AIDS reveals the dangerous fragility of masculinity in many men’s attempts to act out the ideal of the “real man.” Simpson looks at their search for meaning, and their response to both prevention and HIV testing campaigns, to suggest how to refigure masculinity and redesign gender relationships.
