1,720,983 research outputs found
Migrant labour, sexual networking and multi-partnered sex in Malawi
This paper shows the possible connections between migrant labour, multi-partnered sexual activity, sexual networking and the spread of AIDS in Malawi. It focuses on the economic, social, cultural and mobility factors, and their effect on the spread of the disease. Migrant labourers, like truck drivers, itinerant traders, and prostitutes, are a high-risk group both at the place of their work, and especially in their areas of origin. The paper also looks at the difficulties of research on HIV and AIDS among the returned migrants. The sensitivity of the topic, and the political nature in which it is often understood in Malawi, are factors that limit its objective and effective analysis. Another limiting factor is the consideration of human rights issues when interviewing actual or potential HIV patients. The information on which the paper is based comes mostly from field interviews with returned Malawian migrant mine workers to South Africa
Sexual discourse in the context of AIDS: dominant themes on adolescent sexuality among primary school pupils in Magu district, Tanzania
School pupils in Tanzania have been identified as a risk group for HIV/AIDS, so a large part of TANESA’S anthropological research is aimed at charting and understanding forms of sexual risk behaviour among adolescents with a view to influencing change. This study presents the dominant themes of sexual discourse among adolescent primary school pupils in Magu district along the south-eastern shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania. The themes are: love and sex; sexual desire; money and rewards; and deception. The fear of pregnancy also emerges as a dominant theme. Because of the nature and extent of their sexual relationships, school pupils will be increasingly exposed to the risk of HIV and STD infection. This is exacerbated by the lack of condom availability and the proscribed nature of sex (and therefore condom use) among primary school pupils
The socio-economic and cultural context of the spread of HIV/AIDS in Botswana
The first case of AIDS in Botswana was diagnosed in 1985. Despite the fact that AIDS is a relatively new phenomenon in Botswana, the rate at which it is spreading is alarming. The 1994 Sentinel Surveillance study estimated that the number of people infected with HIV rose from 60,000 in 1992 to over 125,000 by 1994. The 1995 Sentinel Surveillance Survey stated that approximately 13 per cent of the general population was infected by HIV. The projected cumulative figures of persons infected by HIV by the year 2000 will stand at 332,000 (AIDS/STD Unit, AIDS Update 1996). Obviously the rate of HIV/AIDS infection is increasing very fast. What are the socio-economic factors and practices that promote this fast increase
'Between a rock and a hard place': applied anthropology and AIDS research on a commercial farm in Zambia
Fieldwork on a commercial farm in southern Zambia, which was aimed at designing an HIV prevention program for farm workers, gradually exposed the nature of sexual liaisons between young girls, coming to work on the farm from the surrounding villages, and older migrant men workers. Before completing fieldwork, the anthropologist voiced her concern about the implications of these liaisons for the spread of STDs and HIV with the local rural community, farm management and farm workers. The immediate outcome of her intercessions was the decision by management to sack under-age workers. Although some members of the local community, including local research assistants, and some managers and workers welcomed this decision, others were angered by it. Caught between interest groups and conflicting guidelines, the anthropologist, it is argued, was in a no-win situation, ‘between a rock and a hard place’. The paper proposes that the application of anthropological ethics in AIDS research needs some reevaluation
Circular migration and sexual networking in rural KwaZulu/Natal: implications for the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases
Patterns of migration do not simply arise out of chance. In South Africa, for example, migration patterns are a result of decades of legislation aimed at restricting the movements of the majority of the population and providing a steady flow of cheap black labour to the gold mines and other industries. In the new democratic South Africa, restrictive laws have been lifted, but circular migration remains a way of life for several million black South Africans. This paper examines the social and epidemiological implications of widespread circular migration from the perspective of a rural South African Health District. In particular, we report our findings on the patterns and prevalence of migration into and out of the Hlabisa Health District in rural KwaZulu/Natal, and the patterns of sexual networking of migrants and their rural partners. We conclude by examining the implications of these patterns of migration and sexual networking for the spread of HIV and other STDs
Exploring partner communication and patterns of sexual networking: qualitative research to improve management of sexually transmitted diseases
This ethnographic research among rural South African men and women seeking care for STDs explores constraints to communication among partners and defines predominant patterns of sexual networking. A series of fifteen open-ended interviews explored topics related to sexual networking and partner communication. Patterns of sexual networking showed clear gender variation, with men more likely to discuss multiple partners. Both men and women believed they should tell one partner about their STD, most often a steady partner. Strong distinctions were made between regular and casual partners, with an emphasis on the role of trust in a steady relationship. Men and women expressed anxiety about telling their partners of their illness, but women more often expressed fear whereas men felt embarrassed. Multi-partnered sexuality is common and is widely accepted for men. While the importance of regular partnerships is clear for both men and women, sexual relationships appear to be highly unstable. Communication among partners could be facilitated by stronger health promotion messages, such as the importance of telling a partner about an STD. Prevailing patterns of communication and sexual networking have profound implications for the STD epidemic
Sexual decision-making and negotiation in the midst of AIDS: youth in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
‘We don’t talk about things like condoms, sex, or STDs. It is not that kind of relationship’ (female, aged 17) ‘[Sex] is a symbol of power in the affair..Once you have sex with a woman, you have a strong say in the running of the relationship’ (male, aged 26)-- This paper addresses issues surrounding sexual negotiation and decision-making among black South African youth in the face of AIDS. It explores choices made by young men and women regarding sexual activity and the extent to which it is influenced by HIV/AIDS. Communication between partners was poor, and young women appeared powerless to enforce their preferences in sexual situations. AIDS was not a significant factor in any aspect of sexual decision-making. Sociocultural factors and the state of the HIV pandemic in South Africa were offered as explanations for the findings
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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