Vieda Skultans is Professor of Social Anthropology in the Department of Sociology at the University of Bristol. She has conducted fieldwork in South Wales, Maharasthra and Latvia. Her theoretical interests lie in the area of cross-cultural psychiatry, narrative and life histories. She has published articles in Sociology, Anthropology, History and Psychiatry journals. Address for correspondence: Department of Sociology, University of Bristol, 12 Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UQ, UK. (email)