White liver: A cultural disorder resembling aids

Hoodoo is a folk belief system common among black Americans. Conjuration and rootwork are other terms used to describe this system which includes the casting of spells and witchcraft. This paper describes the black folk concept of ‘white liver’, an aspect of hoodoo which bears striking resemblance t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science & medicine (1982) 1993-03, Vol.36 (5), p.609-614
Main Author: Kerr, Harry D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - psychology
African Americans - psychology
African-American
AIDS
AIDS/HIV
Anthropology, Cultural
Biological and medical sciences
Black American people
Black culture
Comparison
Culture
Disease
Female
Folk medicine
Folk sickness
Folklore
Humans
Immunodeficiencies
Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies
Immunopathology
Male
Medical anthropology
medical anthropology acquired immunodeficiency syndrome folklore African-American
Medical sciences
Psychophysiologic Disorders - etiology
Sexually Transmitted Diseases - psychology
Social research
United States
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Summary:Hoodoo is a folk belief system common among black Americans. Conjuration and rootwork are other terms used to describe this system which includes the casting of spells and witchcraft. This paper describes the black folk concept of ‘white liver’, an aspect of hoodoo which bears striking resemblance to AIDS. White liver refers to a condition characterized by sexual excess and a wasting to death of sexual partners. Although clearly antedating by many years the current AIDS epidemic, white liver is important as a contemporary black cultural entity that may be used to describe AIDS or to articulate a fear of AIDS.
ISSN:0277-9536
1873-5347
DOI:10.1016/0277-9536(93)90057-B