L'évolution rapide du web a changé la façon dont l'information est créée, distribuée, évaluée et consommée. L'utilisateur est dorénavant mis au centre du web en devenant le générateur de contenu le plus prolifique. Pour évoluer dans le flot d'informations, les utilisateurs ont besoin de filtrer le contenu en fonction de leurs centres d'intérêts. Pour bénéficier de contenus personnalisés, les utilisateurs font appel aux réseaux sociaux ou aux systèmes de recommandations exploitant leurs informations privées. Cependant, ces systèmes posent des problèmes de passage à l'échelle, ne prennent pas en compte la nature dynamique de l'information et soulèvent de multiples questions d'un point de vue de la vie privée. Dans cette thèse, nous exploitons les architectures pair-à-pair pour implémenter des systèmes de recommandations pour la dissémination personnalisée des news. Une approche pair-à-pair permet un passage à l'échelle naturel et évite qu'une entité centrale contrôle tous les profils des utilisateurs. Cependant, l'absence de connaissance globale fait appel à des schémas de filtrage collaboratif qui doivent palier les informations partielles et dynamiques des utilisateurs. De plus, ce schéma de filtrage doit pouvoir respecter la vie privée des utilisateurs. La première contribution de cette thèse démontre la faisabilité d'un système de recommandation de news totalement distribué. Le système proposé maintient dynamiquement un réseau social implicit pour chaque utilisateur basé sur les opinions qu'il exprime à propos des news reçues. Les news sont disséminées au travers d'un protocole épidémique hétérogène qui (1) biaise l'orientation des cibles et (2) amplifie la dissémination de chaque news en fonction du niveau d'intérêt qu'elle suscite. Ensuite, pour améliorer la vie privée des utilisateurs, nous proposons des mécanismes d'offuscation permettant de cacher le profil exact des utilisateurs sans trop dégrader la qualité de la recommandation fournie. Enfin, nous explorons un nouveau modèle tirant parti des avantages des systèmes distribués tout en conservant une architecture centralisée. Cette solution hybride et générique permet de démocratiser les systèmes de recommandations en offrant aux fournisseurs de contenu un système de personnalisation à faible coût. / The rapid evolution of the web has changed the way information is created, distributed, evaluated and consumed. Users are now at the center of the web and becoming the most prolific content generators. To effectively navigate through the stream of available news, users require tools to efficiently filter the content according to their interests. To receive personalized content, users exploit social networks and recommendation systems using their private data. However, these systems face scalability issues, have difficulties in coping with interest dynamics, and raise a multitude of privacy challenges. In this thesis, we exploit peer-to-peer networks to propose a recommendation system to disseminate news in a personalized manner. Peer-to-peer approaches provide highly-scalable systems and are an interesting alternative to Big brother type companies. However, the absence of any global knowledge calls for collaborative filtering schemes that can cope with partial and dynamic interest profiles. Furthermore, the collaborative filtering schemes must not hurt the privacy of users. The first contribution of this thesis conveys the feasibility of a fully decentralized news recommender. The proposed system constructs an implicit social network based on user profiles that express the opinions of users about the news items they receive. News items are disseminated through a heterogeneous gossip protocol that (1) biases the orientation of the dissemination, and (2) amplifies dissemination based on the level of interest in each news item. Then, we propose obfuscation mechanisms to preserve privacy without sacrificing the quality of the recommendation. Finally, we explore a novel scheme leveraging the power of the distribution in a centralized architecture. This hybrid and generic scheme democratizes personalized systems by providing an online, cost-effective and scalable architecture for content providers at a minimal investment cost.

Ce mémoire s’attarde aux pratiques de lecture de lectrices du Échos Vedettes, magazine à potins québécois qui fête ses cinquante ans de publication en 2013. Cinq dimensions permettent de cerner et comprendre ces pratiques de lecture. Les trois premières prennent la forme d’un système composé de trois économies distinctes: l’économie spatio-temporelle, l’économie sociale et l’économie textuelle. Les répertoires de lecture ainsi que l’omniprésence de la photographie sont les deux dernières dimensions. Les données ont été recueillies dans le cadre d’entrevues individuelles de 6 lectrices régulières, recrutées par la méthode dite de « boule de neige ». L’analyse a, entre autres, permis de distinguer trois états que le Échos Vedettes incarne selon les moments, son rôle et son utilisation : une marchandise, un objet et un contenu. Les relations sociales entre femmes, les répertoires, la photographie ainsi que la ritualisation sont les principaux éléments qui caractérisent les pratiques de lecture des lectrices du Échos Vedettes. Ce sont des pratiques qui relèvent de l’amateur et de l’attachement à ce magazine à potins. Cette recherche a également mis en lumière les relations paradoxales de proximité, physique et / AbstractThis research is trying to understand the reading practices of the women who regularly reads the gossip magazine Échos Vedettes. Five concepts have been used, The first three are parts of an everyday reading economical system : spatio-temporal economy, social economy and economy of text. Reading repertoires and photography are the lasts concepts used. Six interviews have been done with women who regularly read Échos Vedettes. They have been recruted by the « snowball » method. The analysis showed that Échos Vedettes can have three different states depending on the moment, the use and its role. It can be seen as a commodity, as an object or as a content. Social relations between women, repertoires, photography and rituals are the principal elements that define the reading practices of women who read Échos Vedettes on a regular basis.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:14:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 1995-05-26T00:00:00Z / The main subject of this study, is the rádio peão, (the brasilian word to the american grapevine) and the rumor (or gossip) in organizations. It is basicaly a teory review, including the analysis of growing, transformations, types and classification of rumors, according to social and psycological approachs. It also analyses the research methods of studing. At the end, some organizational recomendations and sugestions of new approachs areavailable. / Esta dissertação tem como tema o estudo da rádio peão, equivalente brasileiro da grapevine americana e dos rumores e boatos que circulam nas organizações. O trabalho contém a revisão da teoria existente sobre o assunto, abrangendo seus principais mecanismos de . surgimento e transformação, a tipologia, e classificação dos rumores, segundo seus aspectos sociais e psicológicos. Também analisa as diversas metodologias de pesquisa do assunto. Ao final são feitas algumas recomendações para as empresas e sugeridos alguns temas para aprofundamento futuro do assunto.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:25:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4129.pdf: 994871 bytes, checksum: 68f52465ac5c18816f63609ac46aecb0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-26 / Rumor is an activity of language, which is present in people‟s daily lives, regardless of country, culture, socio-economic and political regime, or time. It is likely to exist in any group of people. Being an object of study in various fields of knowledge such as anthropology, psychology, history, sociology, communication, it seemed appropriate to research it within a linguistic-discursive view. This research relies mostly on Mikhail Bakhtin‟s Philosophy of Language maily considering the following reflections made by the Russian master: dialogism, otherness, text/utterance (Fr. énoncé), audience, context, theme and meaning, meaning construction, discursive genres, among others. Also the category of will to truth brought about by Michel Foucault, as well as specific contributions from various authors on rumor were taken in this study to investigate the following aspects: (a) how this language activity takes place, (b) how such a saying constitutes a speaking subject, (c) what makes a rumor spread and another immediately fade (d) which is its materiality, (e), which differentiates it from a truth and a lie, (f) which causes a rumor to sustain so many official and unofficial actions, so many sayings, (g) how its authoring takes place, (h) how it is constituted, (i) whether the rumor is a speech genre, and if so whether it is a primary or a hybrid genre, (j) if the rumor happens only in oral language, or else, in writing, and also how it takes place (k) how it spreads (l) what its trigger is. These reflections were presented in four chapters, namely: (1) From A Rumor ..., which puts forth the desire to investigate rumor, its theoretical support, and data collection; (2) The Encounter with the Chameleon, which offers, through a dialogue with various researchers, a responsive understanding about the rumor‟s birth and mutation , its spreading, and gaining of credibility; (3) The Chameleon in a Project to Saying, a Will to Truth, which analizes linguistic-discursively three texts that address the Cuban athletes‟ mass desertion rumor during the 2007 Pan American Games, held in Rio de Janeiro; (4) finally, The Chameleon and other animals in the Yellow-Green Country which brings up the use of the term rumor in Brazil and other words of similar meaning such as gossip, hearsay, tittle-tattle, and others. The result of this research has perhaps raised more questions than answers, but it could certainly offer some more understanding about language, the world and the human being. / O boato é uma atividade linguageira, presente no cotidiano das pessoas, independente de país, cultura, nível sócio-econômico, regime político ou ainda de época. Ele pode existir em qualquer grupo de pessoas. Objeto de estudo de vários domínios do conhecimento, como na Antropologia, Psicologia, História, Sociologia, Comunicação, pareceu oportuno pesquisá- lo linguístico-discursivamente. Como fundamentação teórica a pesquisa contou, sobretudo, com os estudos da Filosofia da Linguagem desenvolvidos por Mikhail Bakhtin, com destaques para as seguintes reflexões feitas pelo mestre russo: Dialogia, alteridade, texto/enunciado, auditório, situação, tema e significação, construção de sentido, gêneros discursivos, dentre outras. Também a categoria de Vontade de Verdade construída por Michel Foucault, bem como contribuições de vários autores, específicas sobre boato, foram tomadas neste estudo que investigou os seguintes aspectos: (a) Como se dá esta atividade linguageira; (b) como esse dito constitui um sujeito falante; (c) o que faz com que um boato vingue e outro seja imediatamente esvaziado; (d) qual é a sua materialidade; (e) o que o diferencia de uma verdade e de uma mentira; (f) o que faz com que um boato sustente tantas ações empreendidas, oficiais e oficiosas, tantos dizeres; (g) como se dá a autoria no boato; (h) como ele se constitui; (i) se o boato é um gênero discursivo e, no caso afirmativo, se é um gênero primário ou híbrido; (j) se o boato acontece somente na linguagem oral ou também na escrita e como ele se dá; (k) como é a sua circulação e (l) qual é o seu gatilho. Estes pontos foram refletidos em quatro capítulos, sendo eles: (1) De Um Boato A ... no qual se observa o nascimento do desejo de pesquisar o boato, a fundamentação teórica e a composição dos dados; (2) O Encontro Com O Camaleão, onde se lê a compreensão responsiva sobre alguns dizeres a respeito do nascimento e a mutação do boato, como se alastra e por que ele consegue obter credibilidade; enfim, dizeres elaborados por vários estudiosos do assunto com os quais é mantido um diálogo; (3) O Camaleão Em Um Projeto De Dizer, Uma Vontade De Verdade em que é feita uma análise linguístico-discursiva de três textos que abordam o boato de deserção em massa dos atletas cubanos, durante os Jogos Panamericanos de 2007, realizados no Rio de Janeiro. Finalmente, (4) O Camaleão E Outros Bichos No País Verde- Amarelo onde pode ser observado o uso do termo boato no Brasil e outros vocábulos de sentido semelhante como fofoca, disse-me-disse, fuxico e outros. A pesquisa, talvez, tenha suscitado mais perguntas que respostas, mas seguramente permitiu compreender, um pouco mais, a linguagem, o mundo e o homem.

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar, descrever e examinar alguns aspectos da educação política no Brasil, mais especificamente as estratégias de uso de elementos da cultura empregadas pelos consultores de marketing político no seio das campanhas eleitorais. Neste estudo, defendeu-se duas teses: a) o marketing como uma matriz de educação política e b) os consultores como intérpretes da cultura. Observou-se, portanto, que esses agentes da política, da educação e da cultura agem como administradores de uma informação acumulada, por meio de uma ação pedagógica e socializadora difusa da população. Identificou-se os interesses diversificados de agentes na adesão a um espaço social específico, descreveu-se a institucionalização do marketing político no interior do campo científico e interpelou-se a categoria nativa intérpretes na produção de crenças e entendimentos sobre a política. Com o objetivo de aprofundar a compreensão das duas teses, discutiu-se a memória e a fofoca como conteúdos e didáticas das campanhas eleitorais. Para cumprir o empreendimento intelectual proposto, foi realizada uma etnografia multissituada, de caráter exploratório, inovador e inédito na área de educação, analisando um conjunto de dados multilocalizados e oriundos de propagandas eleitorais; de contextos de produção de uma campanha específica, realizada na Amazônia brasileira; de livros produzidos por consultores; de entrevistas realizadas com eles e de outras referências encontradas no trabalho de campo e vividas pelo autor da pesquisa. Com a intenção de que o presente estudo venha contribuir para um entendimento mais amplo e eficiente a respeito da construção social da realidade nos dias atuais, propôs-se investigar as formas de sintetizar a cultura no que se refere à produção de possíveis tentativas de educação dos modos de concepção, classificação, julgamento e imaginação da população no âmbito político. Por fim, buscou-se contribuir para a ampliação do escopo investigativo da sociologia da educação no que tange aos processos educacionais difusos e de massa, e que influem substancialmente no futuro do país, que não estão restritos à escola, mas que podem chegar à ela. / This research aimed at identifying, describing and examining some aspects of political education in Brazil, more precisely the use of cultural elements by political marketing consultants in electoral campaigns. Two theses were defended by this study: a) Marketing as a source for political education and b) consultants as the interpreters of culture. It was observed, therefore, that these agents of politics, education and culture operate as managers of accumulated information, by means of pedagogic action and socializing practices of the population. Diversified interests of these agents were identified in support of a particular social area, the institutionalization of political marketing within the scientific field was also depicted, and the native status of interpreters in the creation of political views and beliefs was questioned. With the objective of deepening the understanding of the two theses, collective memory and rumors were discussed as content of and educational approaches to electoral campaigns. In order to accomplish the proposed intellectual enterprise, a multi-sited ethnographic study that was exploratory and innovative in character and unprecedented in the educational field, was created by analyzing a set of multi-locational data derived from electoral campaigns; in fact as a result of a particular campaign, which took place in the Brazilian Amazon; from books written by those consultants; interviews and other references that were found during fieldwork and experienced by the author of the research. With the purpose to provide a broader and more efficient understanding concerning the construction of our current social reality, the present case study aimed at exploring ways to synthesize culture regarding the production of possible attempts to educate the population in of methods of conception, classification, judgment and imagination in the realm of politics. Lastly, the intention was to widen the investigative scope of sociology of education related to widespread and mass educational procedures, which have a substantial influence on the future of the country, and which arent limited to the school system, but that can reach it.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-07T14:46:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3903019 bytes, checksum: b2f4494e3ae294d986c55a960f34990b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The dissertation verify how the social columns in newspapers of João Pessoa and his particular way of building everyday, watching narratives about public space, socialities existing forms and lifestyles. It starts with the conjecture that social columns in the daily press displays diverse aspects of everyday life. These aspects are legitimated by the tematic fragmentation of jornalism that tends, among other things, to bring the audience to thier products. Because of the peculiarities that have the gossip columns, cutting theme fits in this genre, a range of subjects ranging from the frivolus and playful aspects of daily life to more serious aspects witn a focus on public interest, such as politics. It analyses the columns Abelardo Jurema (Journal Correio da Paraíba), Geraddo (Jornal da Paraíba) and Goretti Zenaide (Jornal o Norte), hsving as theoretical-methodological theories of journalistic genres; Sociology of evereyday life and the key concepts that emerging theory of Michael Maffesoli. The formismo, tissue from the notion "from" was used as a method of procedure. The analysis shows that the empirical object on the daily gossip columns can be read from identify how the imaginary and the identifications of groups such as the elite, are present in everyday life, transforming it into a field appropriate to question the aesthetic experiences and lifestylees of contemporary subjects. / A dissertação busca verificar como se apresenta o colunismo social nos jornais impressos de João Pessoa e o seu modo particular de construção do cotidiano, observando as narrativas sobre o espaço público, as formas de socialidades existentes e os estilos de vida. Parte-se da conjectura que o colunismo social na imprensa exibe diariamente diversificados aspectos do cotidiano. Esses aspectos são legitimados pela própria fragmentação temática do jornalismo que tende, entre outras coisas, a aproximar o público de seus produtos. Em razão das peculiaridades que dispõem as colunas sociais, cabe no recorte temático desse gênero, uma gama de assuntos que vão desde os aspectos frívolos e lúdicos do cotidiano aos aspectos mais sérios com foco no interesse público, como a política por exemplo. São analisadas as colunas Abelardo Jurema (Jornal Correio da Paraíba), Gerardo (Jornal da Paraíba) e Goretti Zenaide (Jornal O Norte), tendo como arcabouço teórico-metodológico as teorias dos gêneros jornalísticos; a Sociologia do Cotidiano e as noções-chave que emergem da teoria de Michel Maffesoli. O Formismo, tecido a partir da noção forma , foi utilizado como método de procedimento. A análise do objeto empírico demonstra que o cotidiano nas colunas sociais pode ser lido a partir de suas efervescências festivas, mas também a partir de suas fragmentações e conflitos; e nos ajuda a identificar como os imaginários e as identidades de grupos, como a elite, se fazem presentes no cotidiano, transformando-o em campo oportuno para problematizar as experiências estéticas e os estilos de vida dos sujeitos contemporâneos.

Submitted by Lamia Jorge Saadi Tosi (lamiajorgesaadi@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-04-16T22:54:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 O COLUNISMO SOCIAL DE IBRAHIM SUED.pdf: 2887314 bytes, checksum: 95a356b9b7b9b4fe0f7ec6a23863ef04 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Satie Tagara (satie@marilia.unesp.br) on 2018-04-17T13:50:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 saaditosi_lj_dr_mar.pdf: 2887314 bytes, checksum: 95a356b9b7b9b4fe0f7ec6a23863ef04 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-17T13:50:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 saaditosi_lj_dr_mar.pdf: 2887314 bytes, checksum: 95a356b9b7b9b4fe0f7ec6a23863ef04 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-04-11 / Não recebi financiamento / O presente trabalho tem por objetivo compreender a trajetória profissional de Ibrahim Sued, descendente de imigrantes libaneses que se notabilizou por ter protagonizado a posição do mais emblemático colunista social, que foi reconhecido como inovador na maneira de fazer crônica social entre as décadas de 1940 a 1990. Sua trajetória profissional e pessoal foram marcadas por contradições e paradoxos que, entretanto, não o impediram de ascender socialmente e tornar-se um porta voz de personagens que transitavam pelo grand monde. Publicou ao longo desses anos diversos livros e mais de quinze mil colunas que atestam o fenômeno jornalístico. Não se limitou a assuntos amenos da vida em sociedade, de etiqueta e de moda transitando à conquista de furos de reportagens e informando sobre assuntos políticos, econômicos e de negócios. Os resultados almejados com essa pesquisa são relacionados à interpretação desse percurso não só no aspecto da crônica e do personagem em si, mas de como e por que o colunismo se tornou algo obrigatório nos jornais desde então. As hipóteses a partir das quais o presente trabalho se põe estão relacionadas: ao capital simbólico representado pelo campo da coluna social, ao papel desempenhado no relacionamento entre estabelecidos e outsiders, bem como de que maneira esses aspectos são reveladores da dinâmica social e das formas de reprodução de uma cultura social, a cultura social da troca de favores. / This paper aims to understand the professional trajectory of Ibrahim Sued, a descendant of Lebanese immigrants who was notable for having played the position of the most emblematic social columnist (writer of Gossip Columns), who was recognized as an innovator in the way of social chronicling between the 1940s to 1990. His professional and personal trajectory were marked by contradictions and paradoxes that, however, did not prevent him from ascending socially and becoming a spokesperson for characters who traveled through the grand monde. He has published over the years several books and more than fifteen thousand columns that attest to the journalistic phenomenon. It was not limited to issues of life in society, etiquette and fashion, moving to the achievement of reporting holes and informing about political, economic and business issues. The results sought by this research are related to the interpretation of this course not only in the aspect of the chronicle and the character itself, but of how and why the columnism has become mandatory in the newspapers ever since. The hypotheses from which the present work is related are: the symbolic capital represented by the field of social column, the role played in the relationship between established and out-siders, as well as how these aspects are revealing of the social dynamics and forms of reproduction of a social culture, the social culture of the exchange of favors.

Pendant plus de deux mille ans, les historiens ont colporté une légende : les Juifs ont été expulsés d'Egypte car ils étaient porteurs de la lèpre. L'étude de la maladie de Hansen (nom actuel de la lèpre) et les différentes recherches, historiques (sur les textes des historiens de l'Antiquité) et archéologiques permettent de contester certains écrits et de prouver que cette légende, qui s'est perpétuée jusqu'au milieu du XXème siècle, était fausse.Cependant, la Bible hébraïque consacre deux chapitres du Lévitique à une affection qui peut toucher les hommes, les vêtements et les maisons, et le terme employé en hébreu est toujours traduit (malgré de nombreuses contestations) par "lèpre". Une lecture de ce texte, enrichie des explications des principaux commentateurs et complétée par l'étude des textes fondamentaux législatifs que sont la Mishnah, le Midrash halakhique et le Talmud (de Jérusalem et de Babylone), permet de mieux mesurer l'importance accordée à cette affection sur le plan rituel.L'étude des personnages que la Bible présente comme frappés par la lèpre et de ceux désignés par la littérature talmudique et midrashique permet de mieux comprendre les différentes explications que donnent les Rabbins de l'Antiquité sur les causes de la lèpre, considérée souvent comme la punition divine de la médisance et jamais comme une maladie.L'impureté causée à la lèpre nécessitera, en cas de "guérison", une purification dont le processus rituel est bien précisé, qu'il s'agisse de l'homme, d'un vêtement ou d'une maison.Une interrogation demeure : pourquoi avoir accordé autant d'importance à une affection aussi bénigne et passagère et infligé à son porteur la sanction terrible qu'est l'exclusion de la communauté. / During almost two thousand years, the historians hawked about a tale : the Jews were evicted from Egypt because they were affected by leprosy. The study of the Hansen's disease (present name of the leprosy) and the different researches, historical (on the texts of Antiquity's historians) and archaeological allow to object to some of written works and to proof that tale, who was carried on until half of 20th century, was wrong.However, the Hebraic Bible dedicate two chapters of the Leviticus to a disorder who can affect the human beings, the clothes and the houses, and the word used in Hebrew is always translated (against many contesting) by "leprosy". A reading of this text, improved by the explanations of the main commentators and completed by the study of the essential legislative texts as Mishnah, halakhic Midrash and (Jérusalem and Babylonian) Talmud, allow to know better the significance given to that disorder on the ritual subject.The study of characters that the Bible describe as affected by leprosy and of those elected by the talmudic and midrashic literature allow to understand the different explanations given by the Antiquity's Rabbis on the leprosy's origin, often deemed as the divine punishment of gossip and never as a disease.The impurity caused by leprosy will require, in case of "recovery", a purification witch process is quite clear, for human beings, clothes or houses.A question persist : why to give so much importance to a disorder so mild and temporary and impose to the carrier the terrible punishment, the expulsion of the community.

This paper presents seven conversations of men from a variety of backgrounds, in a variety of environments. I analyze the discussions to determine if they can be characterized as typical gossip, and to compare their interaction styles to the men and women of past studies on gossip.

From the early 1990s, rates of HIV infection increased dramatically in South Africa and by the early 2000s, AIDS emerged as the main cause of death for adult South Africans. During the first half of the 2000s, the South African government’s response to this crisis was inadequate, marked by denial and delays in implementing prevention and treatment, resulting in thousands of preventable deaths. Yet, apart from the challenges posed by the predominantly urban-based Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), the absence of a social response to this crisis is notable, especially in rural settings. This scenario forms the broad backdrop to this ethnographic study that draws on participant observation and interviews undertaken over a three-year period (2002-2005) in KwaBomba village previously in the Gazankulu Homeland, now located in the Bushbuckridge municipality of the South African lowveld. An ethnographic perspective provides an intimate vantage point from which to view peoples’ experiences of the AIDS epidemic and their responses in context. This perspective draws attention to gaps in public health and biomedical understandings of the epidemic and suggests alternatives to these understandings. In Bushbuckridge, mortality and morbidity due to AIDS became visible in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Households were incapable of dealing with the burden of illness and death while the health services were often unwilling and ill-prepared. HIV prevention campaigns based on individual behaviour change were not well suited to a context in which HIV spread through sexual networks. Despite widespread awareness of the threat of AIDS, the disease was subjected to public censorship and AIDS suffering was concealed. Public discourses of AIDS were hidden within gossip and rumour and articulated as witchcraft suspicions and accusations. Although these discourses appear to deny and suppress the reality of AIDS, I suggest that they are active attempts to deal with the AIDS crisis: gossip and rumour allocate blame and construct a local epidemiology through which the epidemic can be surveilled; interpreting AIDS as witchcraft creates the possibility of avenging untimely death. These discursive forms are critical in informing individual and social responses to the AIDS epidemic. While the absence of public acknowledgement of AIDS as a cause of illness and death suggests denial and fatalism and appears to limit public action, subaltern discourses create shared secrets to manage the AIDS epidemic at the local level. Furthermore, these discourses may constitute a form of resistance against biomedical models of causality. Ethnographic enquiry at the local level offers a nuanced understanding of social responses to the AIDS epidemic. By examining forms of expression that lie outside the domain of public health, the thesis reveals how these constitute significant forms of social action in response to the epidemic. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Anthropology and Archaeology / unrestricted