Health, Power and Politics in Windhoek, Namibia 1915-1945

For a century, Windhoek, Namibia's capital, was the site of bitter struggles over racial segregation and colonial rule. This book is the first full-length history of the city's African population and their experience of public health controls and medical care during a crucial part of that period - the first thirty years of South African occupation. In this study, Marion Wallace explores the colonial health care system in Windhoek. She examines the development of hospitals, public health policies and missionary nursing, analysing the dynamics of race, gender and class that shaped them and at the same time building a history of African experience in the capital. The author links public health and the construction of biomedical knowledge to the maintenance of white power in the city, while at the same time arguing for an understanding of the complexity of African agency in choosing options for health care. These options included indigenous healing practices, which remained vibrant in the urban context and helped to shape African identities.

Softcover. English. P. Schlettwein. 2002. ISBN: 9783908193111. 312 pp with some black & white photographs. Good. Book No: 2506443