“A thoughtful and timely account, this book examines the efforts of HIV support groups to become part of the HIV story in Mozambique - and their struggle to do so amid the political demands of the state and the overwhelming presence of transnational organizations. Charting the “rise and fall” of HIV activism in Mozambique’s northernmost province, the book movingly describes the everyday challenges facing support group members, from the politics of affiliation to efforts at remaking the self. Well-written and evocative, this book will speak to readers interested in the challenges of providing care in complex landscapes of support and politics.”
— Ramah McKay, department of history & sociology of science, University of Pennsylvania
— Chronicle of Higher Education
“Landscapes of Activism is a remarkable, eye-opening examination of the realities of HIV activism in the global South – what fuels it, what undermines it, and most importantly, the uses to which it has been put by powerful global health players. Reed offers a beautifully written but unsettling ethnographic account of the marred, and at times dysfunctional, forms of civic life that have evolved alongside increasingly biomedical and technocratic HIV treatment efforts.”
— Nora Kenworthy, author of Mistreated: The Political Consequences of the Fight Against AIDS in Lesotho
“Landscapes of Activism is a rich and nuanced ethnography. Its real strength lies in the quality of Reed’s research material and the social analysis generated from it. Of all the texts dealing with AIDS activism in Africa, this book offers a fresh critique, and its Mozambican-focus makes it particularly interesting.”
— Mandisa Mbali, author of South African AIDS Activism and Global Health Politics, Senior Lecturer in Historical Stud