Social Context of HIV/AIDS in Africa – STIGMA 4 th Tuesday february 24, 2009

1. Social Context of HIV/AIDS in Africa – STIGMA4th Tuesday february 24, 2009 Gillian Paterson. (G.P.) Ecumenical Advocacacy Alliance and World Council of Churches. AIDS related stigma. Thinking outside the box: The theological challenge. 16 pages. Leickness C. Simbayi et al. (L&S.) Internalized stigma, discrimination, and depression among men and women living with HIV/AIDS in Cape Town, Soc. Scie. & Med. 64, pp. 1823-1831, 2007.  Lawrence Hsin Yang et al. (H.Y). HIV/AIDS Culture and Stigma: Adding moral experiences to stigma theory. Soc. Scie. & Med. 64, pp. 1524-1535, 2007.

2. STIGMA-What is it ? Gillian Patersonon STIGMA • It is contextual and social in itsbackgroundguiding the stigmatised and the stigmatisers(responses from others) • Stigma is diff from descrimination and it has to do withfear • Religion mayact as a reinforcement and ritualising of symbolic stigma • Self-stigma is part of stigmatisation • Stigmatisingmaybe part of reinforcement of moral and cultural norms • Scapegoatsarestigmatised – 4Hs homoesex. Haemophili, heroin-addicts and Haitians - to distance moral majority from a sense of danger – orselfbe at risk • Moral –conservative right -andpolitical-liberalleft-chasm • Stigma the ideology of othering-power relations • Do we listen to those w/positions and power or do wealso listen to PLWHA

3. L.H. Yang et al – Stigma • Historically the concept of stigma is largely grounded in the individual space but now it is also rooted in the social space • It is embedded in a ”Language of relationships” Goffmann(63) • Different models has beendeveloped, oftenneglecting the stigmatisedownviewpoints • Stigma is devaluing social identity • Not onlywithin the stigmatised person but within a social contextthatdefines an attribute as devaluing • Moral experiencerefers to that register of everydaylife and practical engagement thatdefineswhatmatters most for ordinary men and women. (Kleinman 06)

4. Stigma in Yang cont. • Umbrella which links interrelated stigma components • It is a situational threat; stigmatizing individuals or groups is a response to perceived threats, real dangers and fear of the unknown • Resulting in a concept that stigma predisposes individuals to poor outcomes by threatening self-esteem, academic achievement and mental or physical health • An individual’s stigmatised social identity is constructed through cognitive affective and behavioral processes

5. L.H. Yang et al – Stigma cont • Stigma is dangerous, durable and difficult to curb because for the stigmatised stigma compounds suffering-shame humiliation and despair – loosing face, depression • For the stigmatiser stigma seems to be an effective and natural response emergent not only as an act of self-preservation or psychological defense, but also in the existential and moral experience that one is being threatened

6. AIDS impact-Agriculture and LivelyhoodSocial Context of HIV/AIDS in AfricaFebruary 24, 09 FAO, 2003. HIV/AIDS and agriculture: Impacts and responses. Integrated support to SustainableDevelopment and foodsecurityProgramme WinfordMasanjala 2007, The poverty HIV/AIDS nexus in Africa: A livelyhood approach SSM, 64. pp1057-1066 T.B & A.W. ”AIDS in the twentty-First Century ”Chapt 7 and 9. Rev. Edt. 2006

7. Typology of livelihoodstrategies for rural householdProactivestrategies: Accumulativeseeks to increase, adaptive strategiesseeks to spreadrisks/incomdiversification, Defensive and reactivestrategies: Copingseek to minimisecosts and Survivaltries to preventdestitution-

8. SexualBehaviour of people i urban and rural kenya • Age of sexual debut related to poverty-urban rural • Poverty is related to early debut and risky sex outcomes • Urban poor are more disadvantaged than their rural counterparts • Number of partners • Poor urban married women have more partners than rural ditto