Drugs, Thugs, and the Diablos Rojos: Perils and Progress in Panama
In many ways, Panama has come into its own. Its running of the Panama Canal is indisputably successful, its post-Noriega elections appear to be relatively corruption free, the multibillion dollar expansion of the Canal and the modernization of its transportation system are in full swing—all ostensibly signs of a developed country, but appearances can be deceiving. Dig deeper, and perils emerge: an increase in gangs and drug trafficking, a huge disparity between the wealthy and the poor, and an emerging threat to democracy. Examining these perils and progress demonstrates that Panamanians do not yet enjoy full citizenship; instead, “client-ship” still dominates.
Diablos Rojos: Painted Buses and Panamanian Identities
In Panama City, Republic of Panama, debates about transportation modernization focused on diablos rojos, refurbished used U.S. school buses. City-wide protests, debates and national legislation relating to transportation were negotiations for local identity within globalization. This article is salvage anthropology, for painted buses are now outlawed. Detailed observations, interviews and archival research support a history of bus painting, descriptions of buses situated in social networks, and a heteroglossia of viewpoints regarding the bus as symbol. This article complements the 2005 documentary video Diablos Rojos: Los Buses de Panamá.
Cultural constraints on the delivery of HIV/AIDS prevention in Ireland.
HIV appeared in Ireland following an opiate epidemic in the early 1980s. Initially, however, the gay community mounted the only response to the spread of the virus while the implementation of early actions by the government was hampered by the constructions of the disease within Irish society. This paper considers the influence of the religious hierarchy in both the development of AIDS policy and in the shaping of public perceptions of the disease and those affected. A qualitative methodology is used to examine the role of such cultural constraints in an evaluation of the social context within which the prevention of HIV infection occurs. Three key issues pertinent to the policy context in Ireland are explored in depth. These are the role of the Catholic Church, the influences on health education programmes, particularly information giving, and the development of services and other interventions. These findings are discussed within the social and political contexts in which health policy is formulated.