Paul Farmer's Pathologies Of Power

In Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor, Paul Farmer uses his experiences as a physician and anthropologist to deliver confirmation and analysis of poverty. A substantial part of the work comprises of reflections by Farmer on the way in which the current worldwide economic structures stimulate a systematic violence against the rights of the poor. While primarily focused on health, and profiling the impacts of Tuberculosis, AIDS and other diseases, his involvement in treating patients beaten by members of military dictatorships and those who experience malnourishment indicate profound social health problems. Farmer shows how social inequalities erode the ability of the poor and marginalized to determine their

Instead, Farmer separates the book into two parts; case studies and then analysis. He utilizes the first part of his book to share vivid case studies showing how the sicknesses of the poor and marginalized are an embodiment of structural violence. To Farmer, structural violence is defined as suffering that is “structured by historically given (and often economically driven) processes and forces that conspire – whether through routine, ritual, or, as is more commonly the case, the hard surfaces of life – to constrain agency” (2005, 40). In Haiti and Chiapas, the breakdown of subsistence living and the problems of landlessness are connected to relocation and infrastructure-building projects of governments and corporations. The displaced farmers are forced to live on infertile land, and thus starvation, malnutrition and social problems create multiple avenues to poverty. Farmer considers this a case of structural violence because poor health is inextricably connected to the political and economic structures that are outside the control of those affected. He demonstrates how local and global political and economic phenomenon creates circumstances which causes problems to flourish. Though these circumstances may vary, they always exacerbate the suffering of the poor. Farmer spends a significant amount of time emphasizing the fact that each year millions of people around the

Farmer’s discussion of liberation theology emphasizes suffering more than injustice. Though he writes about acting as a physician in the service of the poor, there are also times throughout the book where Farmer advises having pragmatic solidarity and acting only if there is a common cause with those in need. Furthermore, Farmer claims that the current human rights discourse is detached from reality. However, he fails to acknowledge that human rights movements are increasingly becoming focused on claim holders, Capacity Analysis, and the accountability of claim holders. UNICEF, for example, has increasingly become involved in Human Rights and Capacity Analysis work; with many practical results being seen. Therefore, the international aid paradigm is no longer using human rights as a language of moral imperialism, as he claims. At times, readers may find themselves agreeing with Farmer's points, not because of his descriptions but rather because of their prior convictions. While the book is very informative, much is suppressed by the dogmatic writing style. Farmer’s argument regarding structural violence is overshadowed by long quotes, even longer paragraphs, and limited textual illustrations of real people injured by the world's social