The Nyau Masquerade

This book offers new perspectives on how community reproduces sexuality in the changing social environment brought on by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Malawi. Based on authentic anthropological data, this volume shows how community uses theatre and masks to influence individual behaviour relating to sexuality. As the book challenges the dichotomy between traditional and modern ways of understanding community, it offers a commentary on international health education. This volume is used as textbook at universities and polytechnics. It opens a window for any reader interested in understanding the complexities of sexual practice in African life. David Korpela has lived 16 years in Africa, 12 years in Kenya and 4 years in Malawi, where this research is based. Since his youth, he has been exploring the culture of communities in this book in collaboration with the Canadian anthropologist Claude Boucher. Korpela completed his BA at Queen's University, Canada. This volume is based on his Masters' Thesis at the University of Jyväskylä. Korpela is currently working as the Country Representative for Finn Church Aid in Haiti