Believers and Neighbors: “Huaycán Is One and No One Shall Divide It”
Believers and Neighbors: "Huaycdn Is One and No One Shall Divide It" Contrary to the argument that evangelical Christianity is inherently apolitical or conservative, evangelicals in a new pueblo on Lima's periphery extended political mobilization to negotiating with municipal authorities, Catholic neighbors, and even Sendero Luminoso to define political and ideological space in the new neighborhood. Yet differences within and among denominations kept them from permanently coordinating their political activism. This case highlights the nature of citizenship building and political participation for evangelicals in Peru.
Food Choice and Dietary Intake among People with Tuberculosis in Peru: Implications for Improving Practice
ABSTRACT Background In Peru, tuberculosis (TB) is perceived as a nutritional disease. This perception, alongside factors including household food insecurity, may drive the food choices of people with TB and influence treatment outcomes. Objectives The objective of this qualitative study was to explore drivers of food choice among adults recently diagnosed with TB. Methods The study was conducted between April and December 2016 in the Huaycán district of Lima, Peru. Structured questionnaires were administered to 39 adults with TB at the time of diagnosis and after 1 mo of treatment to characterize food security and socioeconomic status. At 1 mo of treatment, 24-h dietary recalls, enhanced by recipes obtained from local street vendors, were administered to examine patterns of food consumption and determine mean daily intake of macro- and micronutrients. Among a subset of 9 participants, in-depth interviews were used to explore dietary beliefs and food choices associated with TB. Results Overall, 13.2% of participants were underweight at baseline, and 10.5% were overweight. At 1 mo of treatment, the mean caloric intake was 600 kcal/d over what was needed to maintain their current weight. Most of these additional kilocalories came from carbohydrates. Patients made active efforts to improve their diets during treatment, and were both receptive to, and actively sought out, nutritional advice. However, many patients reported significant unnecessary spending on questionable commercial products, such as expensive natural remedies and nutritional supplements. Conclusions The perceived connection between TB and diet creates both opportunities and challenges for treatment providers. Nutritional counseling provided through the national TB program should promote dietary quality through foods that are locally available, inexpensive, and aligned with cultural perceptions of health and wellness.
Kingdoms Come: Religion and Politics in Brazil
At a time when scholars are beginning to think about the political implications of grass roots religion around the world, "Kingdoms Come" explores the "popular religions" in Brazil. Rowan Ireland examines the three main religious traditions at the grass roots in Brazil - folk Catholicism, Protestant Pentecostalism, and Afro-Brazilian spiritism - and traces the contrasting definitions of political problems that arise from these spiritual cultures. Ireland argues that different religions are predisposed toward distinct patterns of acceptance or rejection of political paradigms - such as rural bossism, bureaucratic authoritarianism, or communalism - and, more controversially, that the different paradigms are actually constructed in living out popular religions. One of the features of this book is its discovery of the range of responses found in each of the various Brazilian religious phenomena. For example, one type of Protestant Pentecostalism predisposes believers to endorse civilian and military authoritarianism, while another rejects the claims of national security regimes and local bosses. Similar differences exist in the other religions. In the past, scholars assumed that each Brazilian religious movement produced a single, unambiguous response; "Kingdoms Come" aims to demonstrate that this is not the case. Ireland also shows how the various religious movements competing for the allegiance of Latin Americans can affect political culture. By a close analysis of these movements, he tries to prove that, in each of the various traditions, there are streams that foster a deepening of Brazil's rather shallow democracy.