Albinism Literature Review

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Results of the Studies Characteristic of included studies The search returned a total of 106 articles. Articles that were irrelevant to the topic at hand were excluded. After application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, only 10 articles with full texts remained. These articles were chosen because they contained substantial and relevant information and social consequences of living with albinism. The psychological, economic and social concerns facing this population were explored, within articles relevant to the African context. The relevant articles were abstracted and entered into a table. Literature review Social Aspect of Albinism Society's attitudes towards albinism tends to portray a tremendous influence on the person with albinism.…show more content…
The term "albino" is commonly used in everyday conversations and in different languages including English. Many individuals living with albinism are comfortable with the word and prefer being called an albino. However, the word "albino” can be used in hurtful ways. Referring to a person with regards to their condition is dehumanizing. This term "person with albinism" and "people with albinism" put the person first and the condition second. Other ways of dehumanizing include name calling and teasing which are other ways in which language is used. It is often common for children to face teasing during their schooling years (Gaigher, Lund & Makuya, 2002). There are numerous world held misconceptions about albinism, ranging from the idea that people with albinism have magical powers which makes it easier for people to hold the belief that they are retarded (Bucaro,…show more content…
Dawes (2012) states that it is a result of the negativity that is packaged with living with albinism that these individuals tended to be more withdrawn from social situations as a means to avoid being noticed. Society forces people living with this condition to come across as emotionally unstable and had less assertive personalities than people without albinism. Also, they considered their society to be generally unkind and rejecting, even though they did have close It is the communities' lack of education about albinism's etiology is the root of all the misconceptions and social discrimination. Little is known about the conditions genetic inheritance and therefore, several traditional myths and superstitions are communicated within social settings, albinism in many communities is considered a punishment from the gods for an ancestor's as some of these preconceived beliefs link the condition with (culturally unacceptable) conception during menstruation. Thuku (2012) states that due to these socially learnt discrimination, it results in the quality of life of people living with albinism to be compromised in ways such as dropping out of school and facing difficulty in employment opportunities and marriage compared to the rest of the population. Furthermore, families who have a member who is living with albinism
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