[Violence, ethnic groups and skin color: a study on differences in the metropolitan region of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil]. / Violência, etnia e cor: um estudo dos diferenciais na região metropolitana de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil.

The objective of this study was to analyze the distribution of various forms of violence--structural, institutional, interpersonal, and crime-related--in the three most common color groups of Bahian society: mulattos, whites, and blacks. The study compared the levels of victimization of mulatto, white, and black individuals with their assessments of the efficiency of crime-control institutions, in order to ascertain how that relates to those same citizens' acceptance of authoritarian attitudes and norms. The data analyzed came from the multicenter project on Attitudes and Cultural Standards about Violence (ACTIVA) project, from a sample of 1,384 residents of the Salvador metropolitan region. The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey, with interviews done in the people's homes between September and December of 1996. The sample selection was done in three stages: first, residential areas were chosen at random; then, a systematic selection was made from the homes in each of the selected areas; finally, the persons to be interviewed were chosen at random. To collect the data the researchers used a pretested questionnaire that had been designed for the ACTIVA study. The results showed an unequal distribution of structural violence that mainly affected blacks. There were no differences by color group for interpersonal and institutional violence. Criminal violence impacted whites and blacks to the same degree. Distrust in the efficiency of the civil and military police and in the justice and penal systems was very high among all three color groups. Moreover, few differences were found among the groups with regard to authoritarian attitudes and norms. Based on the results, it is possible to conclude that public order is threatened if the dissatisfaction with institutions for crime prevention and reduction continues at a high level at the same time that individuals tend to support violence to resolve conflicts.

[A popular concept of schistosomiasis mansoni: modes of transmission and prevention in the perspective of gender differences]. / Uma concepção popular sobre a esquistossomose mans nica: os modos de transmiss o e prevenção na perspectiva de gênero.

This is a study on popular ideas, beliefs and practices concerning the transmission and prevention of parasitic diseases, specifically schistosomiasis mansoni. The author explored the existence of a popular belief system within the health care system, combining elements from biomedicine and folk medicine for the understanding and management of the health/disease phenomenon. The study describes the differences in perception of morbidity and gender among the interviewees. Finally, the study presents popular discourse on parasitic diseases and discusses difficulties with control measures. It considers the contradiction between cultural values and habits and conventional control measures, critically assessing the lack of precision in health education measures under government prevention programs.

[Is male violence directed towards Eve or Mary?]. / A violência masculina é dirigida para Eva ou Maria?

This paper analyses the different categories of violent death and other injuries occurred in Bahia. In Brazil, traffic accidents, homicides and suicides correspond to the third most common cause of death. Besides, violent acts tend to increase the emergency health services demand. The data were collected from the written press covering all the homicides, grave injuries and notified rapes during 1989. Police violence appeared as responsible for the death of a high proportion (24%) of young males, followed by the disagreement between criminals (18.6%). In relation to females, the quantitative dimension of crimes are lower, more diffused and registered in the family environment. The data point to the importance of male domination in the interpretation of those domestic violent acts. Resisting the ideology of women's inferiority means avoiding both injuries and homicides - a complex task for Brazilian society.

[Epidemiology of tegumentary American leishmaniasis and its relations with agriculture and prospecting, in a locality of the State of Bahia, Brazil]. / Epidemiologia da leishmaniose tegumentar americana e suas relações com a lavoura e o garimpo, em localidade do Estado da Bahia (Brasil).

This study was carried out in the city of Lençóis, State of Bahia, with the objective of verifying the association between leishmaniasis infection and occupation. A Montenegro test and a questionnaire including biological and socio-economic variables were applied to the study group. Sandflies were captured in and around dwellings. The higher-than-average prevalence of leishmaniasis observed among agricultural workers and prospectors is explained by the double exposure to the infection-both at home and at work.