Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Doctorat en sciences sociales, politiques et économiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on the problem of VVF-HIV/AIDS, stigmatization, the threat to the human dignity of women and the role of the church, with specific reference to the role of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA). In order to show this, models of practical theology methodology were used as theoretical and methodological basis for the study. Practical theology is as a study area deals with the praxis of God, i.e. salvific and eschatological involvement and engagement with the trajectories of human lives and the suffering of human beings. Within the context of theological reflection, it involves man’s attempt to express and portray the presence and will of God in such a way that meaning in life and comfort is contextually disclosed and discovered (Louw, 2008:71). Having established the latter, the focus falls firstly on the description of the conditions addressed in the study about VVF-HIV/AIDS and its prevalence in Northern Nigeria. A detailed contextual study also shows that a variety of factors impact negatively on the status and well-being of women in the area. Traditional, cultural, economic, political and religious factors are either uniquely applicable to or aggravate the status and well-being of the subjects of the research, namely women suffering from VVF-HIV/AIDS in Northern Nigeria. It specifically involves the social and political context in which they live. It also shows that the existence and extent of these factors increase the vulnerability of women to contracting the HIV as well as VVF. The extent to which these factors, in combination with the latter conditions specifically promote the stigmatization of these women and the forms such stigmatization takes are also explored. Moving on to the issue of human dignity: a historical overview is given of the concept and it is defined for the purposes of the study. The extent to which the human dignity is affected in the study area is then investigated in light of their context, with particular reference to the women suffering from VVF-HIV/AIDS. It is concluded that the stigmatization to which the VVF-HIV/AIDS sufferers in Northern Nigeria are subjected, indeed constitutes a serious threat to their human dignity. In answering the question of whether the church (ECWA) has a responsibility towards these women and to address the issue of their stigmatization, two pastoral theological perspectives were used, that of the nature of the church and that of the concept of human dignity from a theological perspective. According to this perspective human beings have been created in the image of God. Having established that, on theological grounds, such a responsibility exists, a possible pastoral theological model for addressing the issue of the stigmatization of women suffering from VVF-HIV/AIDS was proposed. The church’s response to the challenge of VVF-HIV/AIDS is to come from its deepest theological convictions about the nature of creation, the unshakeable fidelity of God’s love, the nature of creation, the nature of the body of Christ and the reality of Christian hope. The creation narrative, which affirms that humanity is created in the image of God, links human beings to the love of God, which is modelled in the incarnation of Jesus. Moving on to the data analysis, the extent of the challenges of VVF-HIV/AIDS sufferers and the level of knowledge of the pastors of the subject of the stigmatization of young adult females sufferers of VVF-HIV/AIDS and their treatment of the issue were evident. Finally, recommendations were drawn up in order to provide basic understanding and awareness to ECWA on how to objectively address the problem of VVF-HIV/AIDS in Northern Nigeria. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie fokus op die probleem van VVF-HIV/AIDS, stigmatisering, die bedreiging van die menslike waardigheid van vroue en die rol van die kerk (ECWA). Om dit aan te toon, word die model van die praktiese teologie metodologie gebruik as 'n teoretiese en metodologiese basis vir die studie. Praktiese teologie handel oor die praxis van God, d.w.s. die verlossingsboodskap en eskatologiese betrokkenheid by en verbintenis met die trajekte van die menslike lewe en die lyding van die mens. Binne die konteks van teologiese refleksie, d.w.s. die menslike poging om aan 'n beeld van die teenwoordigheid en wil van God op so 'n manier uitdrukking te gee, word die betekenis daarvan in die lewe en troos kontekstueel geopenbaar en ontdek (Louw, 2008:71). Na laasgenoemde val die fokus eers op die beskrywing van die voorwaardes in die studie oor VVF-HIV/AIDS en die voorkoms daarvan in die noorde van Nigerië. ’n Gedetailleerde kontekstuele studie toon ook dat 'n verskeidenheid negatiewe faktore ‘n impak op die status en die welsyn van vroue in die area het. Tradisionele, kulturele, ekonomiese, politieke en godsdienstige faktore waarvan 'n paar óf uniek van toepassing is óf ‘n verswarende effek het op die navorsingskonteks van vroue wat in die noorde van Nigerië aan VVF-HIV/AIDS ly en spesifiek op die sosiale, politieke konteks waarin hulle leef. Daar word ook aangetoon dat die bestaan en omvang van hierdie faktore die vatbaarheid van vroue vir die kontraktering van die MIV-virus sowel as VVF, verhoog. Daar word ook gekyk na die wyse waarop hierdie faktore in kombinasie met bogenoemde voorwaardes spesifiek die bevordering van die stigmatisering van hierdie vroue teweegbring en na die vorme wat hierdie stigmatisering aanneem. Die kwessie van menslike waardigheid word ondersoek deur 'n historiese oorsig van die konsep te gee. Dit word vir die doeleindes van die studie gedefinieer. Die mate waarin menslike waardigheid in die studiearea ‘n rol speel, met spesifieke klem op die konteks van vroue wat ly aan VVF-HIV/AIDS, word ook nagegaan. Daar word tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die menswaardigheid van die VVF-HIV/AIDS lyers in die noorde van Nigerië tot 'n groot mate in die lig van die stigmatisering hulle aan onderwerp word, aangetas word. Ter beantwoording van die vraag of die kerk (ECWA) 'n verantwoordelikheid teenoor hierdie vroue het om hul stigmatisering aan te spreek, word twee pastorale teologiese perspektiewe gebruik: dié van die aard van die kerk en van die konsep van menswaardigheid vanuit 'n teologiese perspektief waarvolgens die mens na die beeld van God geskep is. Nadat vasgestel is dat, op teologiese gronde, so 'n verantwoordelikheid wel bestaan, word 'n moontlike pastorale teologiese model vir die aanspreek van die kwessie van die stigmatisering van vroue wat ly aan VVF-HIV/AIDS voorgestel. Die kerk se reaksie op die uitdaging van VVF-HIV/AIDS spruit uit sy diepste teologiese oortuigings oor die onwrikbare getrouheid van God se liefde, die aard van die skepping, die aard van die liggaam van Christus en die werklikheid van die Christelike hoop. Die skeppingsverhaal, wat bevestig dat die mensdom in die beeld van God geskep is, verbind die mens aan die liefde van God, wat in die inkarnasie van Jesus gemodelleer word. Daar word dan beweeg na die data-analise, die omvang van die uitdagings van VVF-HIV/AIDS lyers en die vlak van kennis van die pastore oor die onderwerp van die stigmatisering van die jong volwasse vroulike lyers aan VVF-HIV/AIDS en hulle behandeling van die probleem. Ten slotte word aanbevelings gemaak ten einde basiese begrip/bewustheid te verskaf oor hoe die ECWA die probleem van VVF-HIV/AIDS in die noorde van Nigerië objektief kan aanspreek.

Jordan has a higher fertility rate (3.8) than the averages of countries similar in income to Jordan (2.2) and compared to the Middle East and North Africa region as a whole (2.8) (WHO, WB, UNICEF, & DHS, 2011). The findings of the 2009 Jordanian Population and Family Health Survey demonstrated that the total fertility rate (TFR) has stopped declining in the country since 2002 (DOS, 2010b; USAID, 2010). The prevalence of contraceptive use has also shown little change in Jordan over the last decade (DOS, 2010b; USAID, 2010). Given that contraception is one of the proximate determinants of fertility (Rahayu et al., 2009), the main purpose of this study was to investigate which factors are contributing to women's current contraceptive behavior and intention for future contraceptive use. Research questions were developed in a comprehensive framework that considers women's intention and actual behavior as outcomes of various interactive factors within a socio-cultural context. In particular, the study's framework was directed by a theoretical basis adapted from Ajzen and Fishbein's Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and an extensive review of the available literature in the research area. Obviously, the social set-up and cultural norms in the study setting, together with attitudes toward children and family, represent a traditional scenario that could help explain the consistency of fertility and contraceptive use in the country. Further, the influences of background characteristics on women's contraceptive behaviors and intentions provide another scenario that could help assess the current situation of family planning (FP) in Jordan. In this study, demographic factors, spousal communication variables and healthcare system-related factors are all defined as background characteristics. Attitudes and social norms reflect the women's behavioral determinants and represent the main constructs of the TRA. In fact, involving a set of factors related to women's beliefs and social norms in the study's framework provided an opportunity to explore how these factors might promote or inhibit a woman's intentions and behaviors in respect to contraceptive use. In a three-manuscript format, this research was designed to achieve a number of objectives. The first manuscript aimed at identifying the major factors associated with the current use of contraception among women of childbearing age in northern Jordan. The second manuscript focused on investigating the main factors that are associated with women's contraceptive method preference (e.g. the choice of modern contraceptives as effective methods in preventing pregnancy versus the choice of traditional contraceptives as methods with high failure rates). The third manuscript attempted to explore the key factors associated with women's intention for future contraceptive use since the existence of such an intention would consequently translate into an actual behavior later. In 2010, original cross-section data were collected by means of a face-to-face interview using a structured pre-tested survey. The study sample included women who were currently married and were between 18 and 49 years old. Applying a systematic random sampling procedure, all respondents were recruited from the waiting rooms of five randomly selected Maternal and Child Health (MCH) centers in the Governorate of Irbid, northern Jordan. Using a list provided by the Ministry of Health, all centers in the Governorate were stratified according to the region (urban vs. rural) and randomly selected in proportion to their number in each region. The final sample size for this research consisted of 536 women surveyed, giving a response rate of 92.4 percent. Utilizing logistic regression analyses, the results of the dissertation manuscripts indicate that women's behaviors and intentions toward the use of contraception are affected by a number of factors at the individual, familial and institutional levels. The findings that emerged from the three manuscripts provide health professionals and policy makers with important information to assist in the design of FP programs and campaigns aimed at increasing current contraceptive use, enhancing the adoption of modern contraception and motivating the intention for future contraceptive use. This research strongly suggests that health professionals develop health policies that both expand the availability of MCH centers and strengthen the role of healthcare providers to dispel the numerous rumors and misconceptions surrounding the use of contraceptives, particularly modern ones. Health workers at the MCH centers need to ensure that women have sufficient information about the benefits and side effects of different types of contraception by offering proper FP counseling. The messages that religious leaders can use in advocating for FP would also help make contraceptive use socially acceptable since their opinions are often followed by the majority. This would be a key step toward removing the barriers to contraceptive use. Moreover, to design effective FP interventions, planners should take into account women's attitudes toward the use of contraceptive methods and the components of those attitudes (e.g. women's approval of contraceptive use for birth spacing and perceptions regarding the value of large family sizes and the importance of having male children in Jordanian families). / Graduation date: 2012 / Access restricted to the OSU Community at author's request from May 9, 2012 - May 9, 2013