Thesis (M.A.)--East Carolina University, 2009. / Presented to the faculty of the Department of Psychology. Advisor: Susan McCammon. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 3, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Social stigma on public housing is a deep-rooted and unsolvable problem, places with large-scale public housing are perceived as concentration of unemployment and crimes in which outsiders are reluctant to visit those ghettos. Some empirical researches endeavored to argue social stigma on public housing can be abated by diversifying the tenure type, while UK government is a typical example in implementing mix tenure policy. However, the situation of Hong Kong seems different, social stigma on public housing is less apparent than western countries while living in public housing is sometimes perceived as fortunate due to low rent cost and good quality. In Hong Kong, government has not adopted any mix tenure policy whereas mix tenure of public housing, mix of renters and owners, is an unintended consequence of Tenant Purchase Scheme (TPS). In order to understand why social stigma seems less apparent in Hong Kong, this research is going to examine, first, the situation of social stigma on public housing in particular to Lam Tin district where a place with high density of public housing and mix tenure, second, if mix-tenure can alleviate social stigma on public housing in Hong Kong in which the research area will be focus on the aspects of unemployment and security because public housing is perceived as concentration of unemployment and crimes. In regard to the above research question, two sets of questionnaires were conducted to both residents living in TPS estates and private estates in order to understand their different perceptions on the unemployment and security of public housing, and thereby the survey result will be compared with the actual statistics from governmental bodies. Generally speaking, the survey analysis indicated that both sides of resident have apparent social stigma on the security of public housing while unemployment is less seen. What is more, it is interesting that the survey findings are different from the actual situation. Although residents believed that the crime rate is higher in public housing than private housing, there is neither positive nor negative relation between the variables of high density of public housing and crime rates. Social stigma on security was apparently seen from the survey in which majority of respondents agreed with high crime rate in public housing, yet Hong Kong government is not intended to solve the problem as what UK government did because of its historical political philosophy and financial constraints. For instance, Hong Kong government is reluctant to restrict the private developers through mix tenure policy since it would affect the historical philosophy of free economy for Hong Kong. Second, governors are accountable to explain how the public money was spent, and hence government is sensitive on spending large amount of public money to improve the security service and system. In view of the political and financial considerations, it is believed that tackling social stigma on public housing would put at lower priority in government's agenda. Last but not least, since the survey data is only collected in Lam Tin due to time and cost limits, the findings are not extensive and could not apply to all districts of Hong Kong especially for those areas without mix-tenure. In this regard, to have a further analysis on social stigma of Hong Kong public housing, author suggested widening the data collection to conduct a more comprehensive survey. / published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

People living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have been stigmatized since the epidemic began. Evidence suggests that stigma and discrimination contribute towards perpetuating the epidemic. South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV in the world. Reducing stigmatization may therefore be an important factor in reducing new HIV infections. Studies in other countries have shown that people who possess inaccurate knowledge regarding the way HIV is transmitted have a greater tendency to stigmatize. Furthermore it was found that people who stigmatize are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour and to perceive themselves to be at low risk of contracting HIV. Wave 2 of the Transition to Adulthood study which took place in 2001 interviewed 4185 young people in KwaZulu-Natal on their sexual behaviour. This present study has linked respondent’s levels of HIV transmission knowledge to their stigmatizing attitudes. It was found that accurate knowledge had a significant impact on stigmatizing attitudes. Those respondents who possessed less knowledge were significantly more likely to stigmatize. Differences between levels of stigmatizing were also evident between race groups. Characteristics important to HIV prevention such as condom use and HIV testing were also linked to knowledge and stigmatizing. Respondents who had less knowledge and thus a greater tendency to stigmatize were more likely to have adverse attitudes towards using condoms. These respondents were therefore more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The individualization and medicalization of the emotional distress of those given psychiatric diagnoses deny the social, political, and economic context in which the presenting behaviours arose and leads away from making changes to society. Some people who are psychiatrically labelled join in groups for solidarity in the face of being stigmatized. In these groups the members can resist the disempowerment and helplessness learned in the psychiatric system. With co-researchers from a self-help group this study gives expression to the usually silenced voices of psychiatrized people. Feminist and standpoint theories, co-cultural and living systems theories form a framework for this narrative study. A structural narrative method is used to analyze the stories, found in the transcripts of six individual interviews, told by the co-researchers about their experiences in psychiatric services and in the recovery process. The stories reveal how the ideology and practices of psychiatry use stigma, oppression and the creation of the identity of psychiatric patient for control and management. The stories also reveal the reality of hope for recovery through the support of peers and from the role models of those who have significantly recovered their mental health. Two focus group interviews were conducted with members of the self-help group where suggestions for programs were developed to address issues raised within the groups and in the individual interviews. The findings of the research will be reported to the self-help group who will use the study to back proposals for the funding of recovery-oriented programs. When social workers and other mental health professsionals recognize the importance of supporting the process of recovery, consumer/survivor-run programs will be acknowledged as effective and integral parts of any mental health system

<p>South Africa has one of the highest HIV and AIDS prevalence rates and the pandemic shows no signs of abating. Challenges facing South Africa in combating this pandemic include the social responses of fear, denial, stigma and discrimination. Stigma related to HIV and AIDS poses a major barrier to treating and managing HIV and AIDS. Stigma is defined as involving an attribute which significantly discredits an individual in the eyes of others or society. This attribute is therefore seen by others as being negative, something which devalues, spoils or flaws an individual. Perceived or felt stigma is described as being the anticipation of rejection and the shame of having the stigma, whereas enacted stigma refers to actual incidents of discrimination. The aim of this study was to determine, from the experiences of people living with HIV and AIDS, whether stigma manifests within the South African primary health care system.</p>

This study explores the ways in which Grade Two boys and girls (aged 7-9) in a predominantly Black school construct their knowledge of HIV and AIDS. The study also seeks to explore how young children, in giving meaning to HIV and AIDS, position themselves as gendered beings in the context of HIV and AIDS. By focussing on the construction of young children’s identities in response to AIDS, this study demonstrates how children, in responding to AIDS, do gender and sexuality. There is very little work around gender and young children, let alone gender, HIV and AIDS, and sexuality. This is because of the ways in which children are perceived to be nonsexual, degendered and without the capacity to think beyond a certain stage of development (See Bhana, 2006; 2007a; 2007b; 2008; Silin, 1995; MacNaughton, 2000 as exceptions). By drawing upon qualitative and feminist methodological approaches, this study positions young children as having their own identities, as active participants who are capable of making meaning. This study shows that AIDS is embedded within social, economic, cultural, political and ideological contexts and that the ways in which these children give meanings to HIV and AIDS are embedded within these contexts. In responding to AIDS, the children in this study inform us of their relationship to AIDS within social processes including sexuality, gender, race and class, and they show us how these are actively acted upon. This study also shows the children positioning themselves as gendered beings with the capacity to think, feel and enact their sexuality. In doing so, they dispel many notions which position young children as unknowing, asexual beings. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

The effects of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV and AIDS)-related stigma in Ndweni preclude learning and the humane treatment of people living with HIV or AIDS (PL WHA). This is because stigma contributes to the isolation, marginalization and vulnerability, all of which do more harm than good to people infected and affected. Countering HIV and AIDS-related stigma implies addressing, among other things, the private contexts within which it occurs. While redress mechanisms may have effected systematic change, HIV prevention and AIDS-related education would interrupt the cycles of ignorance, prejudice, violence and sexism that exist at both school and community levels. This study of the Ndweni Primary School and the surrounding community focuses on the HIV and AIDS-related stigma and its effect on learners. The findings reveal that HIV prevention and AIDS-related education is being marginalized by both educators at Ndweni Primary and members of the community. Although the learners gained some knowledge from occasional interaction with personnel from Ndweni Child Welfare, Ndweni Clinic, and volunteers, they retained most of their parents' views on HIV and AIDS. Within Ndweni Community, people do talk about the epidemic, but this is always in secret hushed tones and indirectly to PL WHA, waiting for them to 'break the silence' and disclose their status. The findings reveal, furthermore, the interconnectedness between poverty, prejudice and ignorance, violence and gender politics to the HIV and AIDS stigma. I used social justice theories of oppression by Freire (1970), Hardiman and lackson (1970) and others that focus directly on marginalization of PL WHA as well as of HIV and AIDS information. My recommendations include research into foster care birth documentation for placement of orphans within the education system and a merging of both educational and social institutions to keep a documented track of children who get lost once they transfer from schools or relocate to other areas. This thesis can be regarded as a step forward in the empowering process of creating knowledge and an understanding of HIV prevention and AIDS- related education at both the school and community levels, not only in Ndweni, but for all communities like Ndweni. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Kwazulu-Natal, 2005.

Introduction Youth is a group of people which has been greatly affected by HIV epidemic in Malawi. They are vulnerable to HIV infection because they are at a stage where they are beginning sexual exploration. Youth therefore, need a lot of information and support on HIV preventions, and voluntary counseling and testing. They should be encouraged and assisted to disclose their HIV status whether positive or negative for them to access necessary support system. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore youth's experiences in disclosing their HIV positive status Methodology: This is an exploratory study that adopted a qualitative approach utilizing the phenomenological design to explore the experiences of HIV positive participants in disclosing their HIV positive status. The study was conducted in Likuni urban and Nambuma areas in Lilongwe district, Malawi. Ten HIV positive participants five males and five females between the ages 19-25 years were purposively sampled half from each area. A qualitative approach to data collection was done through face to face individual in-depth interviews. All the interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim using qualitative content analysis. Findings: The following are the four major themes that emerged from the findings of the study: factors leading to and hindering HIV positive status disclosure, disclosure of HIV status, experiences of disclosing HIV positive status, consequences of HIV positive status disclosure. These themes are in line with the objectives and the conceptual framework of the study. The findings of the study have shown that disclosure of HIV positive status among HIV positive youth is difficult and still remains a challenge. The study established that the majority of participants disclosed their HIV positive status due to their deteriorating health status. Stigma and discrimination was found to be the major barrier to HIV positive status while the positive consequences which include: psychosocial care, accessing medical services, safer sex practices and positive living with HIV seemed to be more rewarding because it brought some relief in their lives. Conclusion: Stigma and other hindering factors were found to be the major barriers to disclosure. This therefore, necessitates the need for dealing with barriers to disclosure because the benefits of disclosing HIV positive status are rewarding and outweighs the negative consequences. This study has made some recommendations to promote disclosure of HIV positive status among youth through Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, National Youth Council, National AIDS Commissions, the Community and further research. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

<p>People's attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS remain a major community challenge. There is a need to generate a climate of understanding, compassion and dignity in which people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) will be able to voluntarily disclose their status and receive the support and respect all people deserve. However, many people expereince discrimination because they have HIV/AIDS. In a certain area in Khayelitsha, a township in Cape Town, a young woman was killed after disclosing the HIV status after being raped by five men. While many previous studies have focused on the external stigma in the general population, there is a dearth of studies on stigma among PLWHA themselves and hence the aim of the present study was to investigate stigma attached to HIV/AIDS from the perspective of PLWHA.</p>

<p>South Africa has one of the highest HIV and AIDS prevalence rates and the pandemic shows no signs of abating. Challenges facing South Africa in combating this pandemic include the social responses of fear, denial, stigma and discrimination. Stigma related to HIV and AIDS poses a major barrier to treating and managing HIV and AIDS. Stigma is defined as involving an attribute which significantly discredits an individual in the eyes of others or society. This attribute is therefore seen by others as being negative, something which devalues, spoils or flaws an individual. Perceived or felt stigma is described as being the anticipation of rejection and the shame of having the stigma, whereas enacted stigma refers to actual incidents of discrimination. The aim of this study was to determine, from the experiences of people living with HIV and AIDS, whether stigma manifests within the South African primary health care system.</p>