ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the anthropological study of the failure and success of various patterns of social and political mobilization to combat acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It examines different theoretical models for analyzing the political and social situations shaping actions on AIDS in Africa. The chapter illustrates how the concept of 'political culture' explains how the different historical paths of African states conditioned their political responses to AIDS, despite the overall spread of the disease on the continent. It asserts that political commitment or lack thereof is crucial to explain the trends of the epidemic since the early 1980s. The chapter shows how one of those inputs - the nature of political culture - shapes state actions on AIDS. The statements of Thabo Mbeki, as exemplified in his 2000 letter to world leaders, illustrate South Africa's desire to assert regional power and develop an African autonomy from the West.
