The relationship between coping with HIV&AIDS and the asset-based approach (original) (raw)
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SAHARA J (Journal of Social Aspects of …, 2005
The HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa has negatively transformed the lives of many in townships and rural areas. People living with AIDS (PWAs) are the socially weakened, whose means of survival include migrating, enduring gender violence, and they are thus confined to living in the margins of society. Using the concept of tactic as defined by de Certeau, this paper shows how anthropology can use the narratives of everyday life to make sense of the different ways the socially weakened create networks of support, find a cure, and generate forms of income or use running away as a means to avoid gender violence.This paper argues that if the State hopes to successfully introduce antiretroviral therapy and so turn everyday logics of survival into long-term strategies, it needs to commit itself firmly to reducing inherited forms of inequalities. Similarly, the State's commitment to eradicate poverty also requires it to take cognisance of the different borderline activities the socially weakened regard as avenues of survival. Rather than morally condemn such activity as a wrongdoing, the State should enhance its knowledge of the socio-economic conditions that almost coerce the socially weakened to 'do wrong'. The data were collected during intensive fieldworlk carried out in Alexandra township and Diepkloof (Gauteng) in 2001 -2002, using participant observation and repeated in-depth interviews.
Janac-journal of The Association of Nurses in Aids Care, 2007
This study was undertaken to address the lack of support for poverty-stricken people living with HIV that was identified in the Potchefstroom district in the North-West Province in South Africa. A qualitative phenomenological design was used to explore the experience, identify the support needs, and formulate guidelines for effective support for poverty-stricken people living with HIV. A total of 25 in-depth interviews guided by two central questions resulted in the following themes: facilitative and impeding experiences of poverty-stricken people living with HIV, basic needs, psychosocial needs, cultural-spiritual needs, and self-actualization needs. The experience of poverty-stricken people living with HIV in the Potchefstroom district is closely related to their support needs. To address these needs holistically and to enhance the quality of life of poverty-stricken people living with HIV, the needs should first be addressed individually. Following that, the collective needs can be addressed by a support system. South Africa has the highest number of HIV-infected people in the world; more than 5 million people are living with HIV and AIDS, and deaths from AIDS are expected to rise sharply until
Balancing between normality and social death: Black, rural, South African women coping with HIV/AIDS
Qualitative health research, 2008
The millions of people living with HIV/AIDS are in urgent need of effective care and support interventions. Such interventions should take people's reported needs, coping strategies, and context into account. Usually, active problem-focused coping strategies have been encouraged because they are considered to be more beneficial than passive emotion-focused strategies. However, this may not be the case in the South African context. This study was based on in-depth interviews with Black, rural, South African women about their coping strategies. The overriding aim of coping was to solve the tasks of physical, psychological, and social survival. Strategies involving avoidance of, escaping from, or minimizing HIV/AIDS and its accompanying emotional distress were predominant. We argue that such strategies could be adaptive in a society with scarce resources and marked by gender inequalities. Our findings suggest that care and support interventions should be sensitive to culture and co...
Communities Facing the HIV/AIDS Challenge: from crisis to opportunity
Rural households are managing as best they can in a rapidly changing and often threatening world which makes them vulnerable to the risk of HIV infection and ill equipped to cope with the effects of AIDS. Their chances of managing can be improved if they function in a supportive environment. Their immediate environment is provided by the community itself which can form a buffer against outside threats as well as provide opportunities to reduce household vulnerabilities. Communities, however, are ambivalent and are often destabilised by many of the changes occurring in which case they cannot provide the required supportive environment. Therefore, in many cases, communities need to build their own resilience if they are to provide effective allies for rural households. Despite the difficulties of such a task, as shown in this paper, it is feasible. Certain conditions have to be met and pitfalls avoided in order to set up processes leading to sustainability and which benefit all households as stakeholders. Such awareness is important for the communities themselves, but also for those providing outside assistance in order to trigger the building of community resilience and sustainability for all households, including in HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation. Finally, the paper reviews from a South East Asian perspective some of the lessons to be drawn from the global and African experiences and highlights some of the specificities and challenges of the region.