In a BBC radio report last year, one speaker reported that Africa South of the Sahara is the worst affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Is it that African Christians are more promiscuous than say their European and American counterparts? After living in U.S.A. myself and after having traveled in Europe, I felt that the truth of the matter may be the direct opposite. It may be that apart from sex there must be other ways through which HIV and AIDS is spreading in Southern Africa. Things like rites of passage and other African cultural practices may be what have made HIV and AIDS to find a fertile soil in Southern Africa. There have been a number of women who are infected with the HIV and AIDS virus in Zambia and Africa as a whole (UNICEF reports on Zambia 2003). Women are more vulnerable to AIDS than men in Zambia for a number of reasons, some of which are the collapse of the support systems leading to poverty, the dying of African moral values, etc. Therefore there is a need to intensify our efforts to find out the relationship between cultural practices in rites of passage and the spread of HIV and AIDS in patrilineal and matrilineal Zambian cultures? To promote effective joint involvement into finding the solution to this problem the following objectives will be achieved: To explore the salient cultural practices of rites of passage which promotes and hinders the spread of HIV and AIDS in Zambian women and the people of Zambia, to explore through a narrative approach, cultural practices and gender, to collect stories of women who have been the victims of these cultural practices, to look at rites of passage, a theological reflection. Since culture plays a major role in people’s lives in Zambia and Africa as a whole, there is need to take Zambian or African culture seriously so that we can look at the salient cultural practices in rites of passage which influence the spread of HIV and AIDS. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the link between human rights and, HIV and AIDS. It also assesses whether persons who experience inequality, prejudice, marginalisation and limitations in their social, economic and cultural rights are at a greater risk of HIV exposure. The study aims to assess whether persons living with cognitive disabilities have been a marginalised in the international and regional responses to HIV and AIDS, because cognitive disabilities impact on the basic social skills of an individual such as reading, writing, interacting with people and affect the ability of an individual to learn new things and infer information from social cues and body language. The author will therefore review specific international human rights instruments, African human rights instruments and some national policies and legislation in order to examine this, and based on the findings will provide recommendations accordingly. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / gm2014 / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

No abstract available. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

No abstract available. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

The purpose of the study was to investigate the views of master trainers for life skills and the views of secondary school learners concerning the information they receive on HIV/AIDS. Master trainers are educators who were identified by the Department of Education to train groups of people and learners in various schools about life skills. Life skills can be described as the adaptive and positive behaviour that enables individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. My assumption was that there may be a relationship between how the messages are communicated and understood and adolescent behaviour. There may also be factors that contribute to a lack of change in behaviour - despite the information disseminated on HIV/AIDS. To reach out to young South Africans with effective prevention programmes has become a key to slowing the rate of HIV infection and ensuring a stronger future for the country (UNAIDS, 2006). This is done through awareness programmes in school-based life skills education, which is part of the life orientation programme. Knowledge of the views would be important to all people involved in the battle against the pandemic and may benefit, particularly, those educators who have been assigned the special role of disseminating HIV prevention messages. Learners receive messages from different sources, such as media, peers, parents and educators in various institutions. The problem is that despite the knowledge acquired through various programmes, learners are still unwilling to translate that knowledge into positive behaviour (low risk sexual behaviour). Girls are still falling pregnant and, therefore, it is very important to look at the messages learners get and how they understand them as this may have an influence on their behaviour. This research has used a qualitative approach to collect and analyse data. Semi-structured interviews were used because to obtain rich descriptive data that helped the researcher to understand the participants’ construction of knowledge and social reality (Maree et al., 2009).Two master trainers from each of the three identified secondary schools were interviewed. Group interviews were used for and learners. The study was conducted in Barberton in the Ehlanzeni region of Mpumalanga. The data was collected using a tape-recorder. Permission and consent was sought and obtained to collect data in the schools that were involved in the study. The data was analysed and several themes were identified. The messages that the learners received from the Life Skills programmes were perceived in different ways. The different sources of knowledge concerning HIV/AIDS that the learners accessed at the time contained conflicting messages. More emphasis was placed on the debate around the use of condoms, while there were other issues that needed attention, such as decaying moral standards, lack of parental support, peer influence and material needs - all factors that lead to risky sexual behaviour in teenage learners. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

HIV and AIDS stigma has become a vital challenge for all stakeholders in the workplace. Although government has developed policies on managing HIV and AIDS, indications are that the implementation of these policies and strategies has not been effective in mitigating HIV and AIDS workplace stigma. The key thrust for conducting this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of Employee Wellness Practitioners concerning HIV and AIDS stigma in the Gauteng Provincial Government [GPG] departments. The study was geared towards ascertaining empirically the Employee Wellness Programme [EWP] practitioners’ perceptions regarding the manifestation of HIV and AIDS stigma, the context of stigma in a government department, and insight into whether workplace interventions have been effective in mitigating stigma. The general orientation to the study in Chapter 1 provides an overview of the definition of the problem of stigma, and also of the goals and objectives of the study, the research question, empirical approach, research design and methodologies used, pilot testing of data collection instrument, research population, sampling methods, ethical considerations and the structure of the study report. Fourteen EWP practitioners from the 13 GPG departments were interviewed by the researcher. The literature review in Chapter 2 theoretically scrutinises the problem of HIV and AIDS stigma with specific reference to the types, forms sources, causes and consequences of stigma. The conjectural context of HIV and AIDS stigma in the workplace is expounded and workplace interventions are explored. Chapter 3 of this study presents and analyses the data collected from the respondents. Findings indicate that HIV and AIDS stigma is widespread in the GPG departments and that workplace responses as per EWP practitioners’ perceptions are diverse. HIV and AIDS stigma mitigation strategies necessitate the use of multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approaches which should be tailored to address the challenges and needs of relevant stakeholders. From the results of this study it is apparent that HIV and AIDS stigma has an immense impact on the performance of government employees, and that current HIV and Employee Wellness policies are not sufficient to enhance stigma mitigation in the workplace. Lack of support, commitment and visionary leadership in government departments impede the hard EWP practitioners’ efforts to de-stigmatise HIV and AIDS in the GPG. Chapter 4 presents the conclusions and recommendations for prioritisation and implementation through workplace interventions. Copyright / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

No Abstract. / Dissertation (Magister Educationis)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 296-309).

In this study the relationship between the South African Grade 11 Life Sciences curriculum documents, HIV and AIDS knowledge and behavioural preferences of students was investigated. The Life Sciences curriculum and textbooks used in Grade 11 Life Sciences were analysed to determine the curriculum ideology of the subject and concepts related to HIV and AIDS that are prescribed for teaching with the aim of educating students about HIV and AIDS and promoting safe behaviour. Life Sciences and non-Life Sciences students were compared to determine whether academic HIV and AIDS knowledge taught in Life Sciences was related to functional HIV and AIDS knowledge and behavioural preferences. Findings indicate that Life Sciences does not promote safe behaviour related to HIV and AIDS. Furthermore Life Sciences is knowledge-oriented and integrates HIV and AIDS knowledge as extra content. In addition Life Sciences does not have a clear curriculum ideology for HIV and AIDS education even though it has characteristics of various curriculum ideologies with greater emphasis on the scholar academic ideology. The Life Sciences curriculum makes provisions for the construction and application of HIV and AIDS knowledge, but it does not provide guidance with regards to application of knowledge. Moreover textbooks are not consistent with regard to presentation of content and do not present sufficient content for meaningful application in everyday life. Results also showed that academic HIV and AIDS knowledge improves some students’ knowledge of functional HIV and AIDS knowledge. It was also found that HIV and AIDS knowledge does not significantly correlate with some students’ behaviour presumably because students have difficulty in relating Life Sciences knowledge to real life. Consequently some students do not fully know some HIV and AIDS concepts, and they rely on alternative means to respond to questions for which they do not have the necessary content knowledge. It was also found that some students do not take ownership of social problems related to HIV and AIDS. The researcher believes that there is a need to review HIV and AIDS education in Life Sciences by basing it on a precise curriculum ideology that will ensure that suitable scientific content, which may lead to behaviour transformation, is integrated. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / Unrestricted

[pt] Essa dissertação busca compreender os efeitos e afetos gerados por narrativas e contranarrativas transnacionais do HIV e da Aids, partindo de expoentes da chamada virada afetiva ou emocional nas Relações Internacionais que se dedicam ao estudo da circulação de emoções, e da produção de economias afetivas, por meio de narrativas. Partindo do entendimento de que narrativas constituídas por figuras de linguagem, como a metáfora e a metonímia, são produtoras de afecções ou emoções que materializam as superfícies dos corpos individuais e coletivos, serão analisados dois conjuntos de narrativas do HIV e da Aids que desde a década de 1980 tentam fazer sentido da origem do vírus e do estado clínico. No primeiro conjunto, exploraremos como narrativas transnacionais constituídas por metáforas e metonímias como peste gay, câncer rosa e o grupo de risco dos 5Hs (homossexuais, heroinômanos, haitianos, hemofílicos e hookers) se proliferaram, e junto com elas circularam emoções que produziram efeitos de fronteira, afastamento, discriminação e exclusão. No segundo conjunto, exploraremos como outra economia afetiva, impulsionada por contranarrativas que buscam ressignificar as narrativas do HIV e da Aids, é produzida por organizações não governamentais LGBTQIA+, pela UNAIDS, por blogs ou comunidades sociais online, obras cinematográficas, ou testemunhos de personalidades com HIV. Surgida em um contexto marcado por informações mais concretas sobre a infecção e o aparecimento de medicamentos mais eficazes ao controle viral, essa economia afetiva luta contra a sedimentação de emoções negativas em pessoas que vivem com HIV e se vale de estratégias narrativas como a aplicação de novos termos para explicar o HIV e a Aids, a desassociação de termos metonímicos, implicando que o HIV não é Aids e Aids não é morte, e de termos metafóricos, desconstruindo a ideia de peste gay ou câncer rosa. Em uma tentativa de tecer as narrativas do HIV e da Aids com movimentos de contestação e ressignificação da epidemia das narrativas, essa pesquisa busca compreender as contranarrativas como imposições urgentes de uma nova construção do que o HIV e a Aids que desfaça efeitos de fronteira e produza possibilidades de afecções outras, que aproximem e conectem. / [en] This master thesis seeks to understand the effects and affects generated by transnational narratives and counter-narratives of HIV and AIDS, based on exponents of the emotional turn in International Relations that are dedicated to the study of the circulation of emotions, and the production of affective economies, through narratives. Starting from the understanding that narratives constituted by figures of speech, such as metaphor and metonymy, are producers of affections or emotions that materialize the surfaces of individual and collective bodies, we will analyze two sets of HIV and AIDS narratives that since the 1980s have tried to make sense of the origin of the virus and the clinical condition. In the first set, we will explore how transnational narratives constituted by metaphors and metonyms such as gay plague, pink cancer – associated to the gay community, and the 5Hs risk group (homosexuals, heroin addicts, Haitians, hemophiliacs and hookers) proliferated, and along with them circulated emotions that produced border effects, estrangement, discrimination, and exclusion. In the second set, we will explore how another affective economy, driven by counter-narratives that seek to resignify HIV and AIDS narratives, is produced by LGBTQIA+ non-governmental organizations, UNAIDS, online blogs or social communities, cinematic works, or testimonies of HIV personalities. Appearing in a context marked by more concrete information about the infection and the appearance of more effective drugs for viral control, this affective economy fights against the sedimentation of negative emotions in people living with HIV and uses narrative strategies such as the application of new terms to explain HIV and AIDS, the disassociation of metonymic terms, implying that HIV is not AIDS and AIDS is not death, and of metaphoric terms, deconstructing the idea of gay plague or pink cancer. In an attempt to weave HIV and AIDS narratives with movements of contestation and resignification of the epidemic of narratives, this research seeks to understand counter-narratives as urgent impositions of a new construction of what HIV and AIDS is that undoes border effects and produces possibilities of other affections, that bring together and connect.