“This is a theoretically solid book presenting unique data and perspectives on survival strategies in a broad meaning. The focus is on the most marginalized populations of the world, outlining local, long-term trajectories of their dealing with challenges and uncertainties.” • Jónína Einarsdóttir, University of Iceland
“The book is coherent and well-written and presents a clearly delimited field of study that is a relevant contribution to the literature on global public health, medical anthropology, as well as a broader field of African studies, and the anthropology of state-citizen relationships.” • Jesper Bjarnesen, The Nordic Africa Institute
Caring for small children and the family in Burkina Faso is hard work. Although the health infrastructure in Burkina Faso is weak and many citizens feel neglected by the state, Fragile Futures shows that the state continues to play an important role in people’s engagements and hopes for a better future. Based on more than twenty years of research engagement with Burkina Faso, it is an ethnography of how rural citizens address ambiguities of sickness and care and try to secure a decent future for themselves and their families.
Helle Samuelsen is Associate Professor at the Department of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen. Her research is based on more than 25 years of engagement in Africa, particularly in Burkina Faso. She has recently contributed to the book Everyday State and Democracy in Africa: Ethnographic Encounters edited by W. Adebanwi (Ohio University Press, 2022).
BISAC: SOC002010 SOCIAL SCIENCE/Anthropology/Cultural & Social; SOC057000 SOCIAL SCIENCE/Disease & Health Issues; SOC008010 SOCIAL SCIENCE/Ethnic Studies/African Studies
