Description
Special exhibition “Social Contagion”, Moesgård Museum, February 11 – May 14, 2017.
Birgitte Folmann: Contagious class and lifestyle in Uganda
The social contagion of aspirations, and the happiness of having a lifestyle
Northern Uganda is experiencing economic growth and rapid change in the aftermath of civil war. In particular young men move to town, aspiring to a life that is fundamentally different from their village life. Although they may be limited in terms of life chances, they take advantage of the choices reality allows for them. To have a ‘lifestyle’ means being able to wear cool clothes, eat fried food, to be transported by a motorcycle-taxi and being able to drink sodas every day.
They rarely succeed, but their ongoing aspiration for the good life seems to be contagious. The research-project explores how this contagion takes place, unfolds lifestyle as a social process influenced by the context, and explains how health-related practices are formed.
Birgitte Folmann: Klasse og livsstil som smitter i Uganda
Forestillinger om det gode liv og livsstil blandt unge mænd i det nordlige Uganda
I det nordlige Uganda er samfundet i hastig forandring efter mange års borgerkrig og nu fornyet vækst i området. Især unge mænd flytter til byen med håbet om et fundamentalt anderledes liv end det de kommer fra. Den ønskede livsstil med at iføre sig smart tøj, spise stegt kød, køre motorcykeltaxi og drikke sodavand dagligt er næsten umulig at opnå. Men forestillingerne om det gode liv styrkes af de muligheder, der trods alt er. Jeg udforsker, hvordan forestillingen om det gode liv smitter, og hvorfor livsstil ikke kun er noget, den enkelte vælger. Det er i høj grad også en social proces, der påvirkes af konteksten og er med til at forme sundhedsadfærden.
Project Details
A film by: EPICENTER
EPICENTER explores the social life of epidemics – including cultural epidemics. The Centre aims to fill a gap in scientific as well as popular understandings of contagion, by asking: What is contagion? The traditional distinction between communicable and non-communicable diseases is challenged through research. Currently epidemics of non-communicable diseases are spreading, but the social dynamics of how these diseases spread are poorly theorized. The Centre is currently hosting studies in Denmark, South Africa, Uganda, Siberia, Nepal, and Egypt on cancer, HIV, diabetes, drug addiction, trauma, suicide, migration, prevention and treatment regimes.
The Centre will be a platform of communication between researchers and the public through museum exhibitions.
For more information visit: http://epicenter.au.dk