Making sense of HIV & AIDS in Senegal: social representations in narratives by urban youth 公开
Schiller, Malaika Libambu (2011)
Abstract
Background: Senegal is considered one of sub-Saharan
Africa's success stories in
relation to the response to HIV, however the impact of HIV on
health and well-being in
the country remains considerable. Given that nearly half of all new
infections occur in
people under 25 years old, there is a need to understand how AIDS
is socially constructed
among young people in order to inform education and communication
efforts aimed at
HIV prevention.
Objective: Scenarios from Africa scriptwriting contests invite
young Africans to
contribute ideas for short fiction films to educate their
communities about HIV & AIDS.
The purpose of this research is to examine the cultural meanings
that frame HIV & AIDS
among urban Senegalese youth through the analysis of fictional
narratives submitted to
the 2008 Scenarios from Africa contest. Findings will explore the
symbolic and social
dimensions of how Senegalese youth make sense of HIV & AIDS and
allow assessment
of current communication needs.
Methods: Using qualitative data analysis and narrative-based
methodologies, I analyzed
a stratified random sample of 60 narratives submitted to the 2008
Scenarios from Africa
contest by urban Senegalese youth aged 10-24.
Results: The narratives focused primarily on the circumstances
of infection and on the
post-infection period. HIV-related vulnerability was framed in
terms of high-risk groups
rather than specific behaviors that put an individual at risk.
Women, poor people, sex
workers, individuals with multiple partners, migrants and travelers
were depicted as
central to the spread of HIV. Despite a predominant focus on the
circumstances of
infection, many narratives ended with hopeful outcomes for people
living with HIV &
AIDS, including social support, activism and treatment uptake.
Conclusion: The process of 'othering' characteristic of
the dataset presumes that HIV is
contracted by high-risk groups through immoral behaviors and has
the disadvantage of
minimizing risk perception within the general population. The
superficiality of mentions
of HIV prevention strategies in the narratives suggests the need
for a more integrated life
skills development approach to HIV programming. Stigma reduction
efforts, life skills
development, and couples' communication are recommended as priority
areas for future
HIV prevention interventions.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Comprehensive Review of the Literature
Chapter 3. Project Content
Chapter 4. Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations
References
About this Master's Thesis
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