Thesis (MPhil (Industrial Psychology. Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The AIDS epidemic presently engulfing South Africa is mostly based on heterosexual
transmission. This paper discusses the male role in African culture in the HIV and AIDS
context. Issues facing African women, domestic violence in particular, remain a pervasive
problem. Women have not yet reached a level of equality and are still being dominated by their
male partners. Women’s subordination can be directly linked to the increasing number of women
becoming infected with HIV/AIDS, especially within the African cultural context. Culture plays
a vital role in determining the level of health of the individual, the family and the community.
This is particularly relevant in the context of Africa, where the values of extended family and
community significantly influence the behaviour of the individual. The behaviour of the
individual in relation to family and community is one major cultural factor that has implications
for sexual behaviour and HIV/AIDS prevention and control efforts. As the impact of HIV/AIDS
in South Africa remains unabated, a culture-centred approach to prevention, care and support is
increasingly desirable as a critical strategy. The focus of prevention of the heterosexual AIDS
epidemic has been on women. The role of men in sexual decision-making has not been
emphasized enough in AIDS prevention approaches. As a result, the heterosexual epidemic for
women continues unabated because of the lack of attention to the behaviour of male sex partners.
Discussion focuses on the cultural and contemporary sexual culture as shaping factors in the
enactment of high-risk sexual behaviour. There are numerous social, political, cultural and
economic factors affecting the HIV pandemic in the SA region. The main ones are: low status of
women and male dominance in sexual and economic relations; sexual abuse (of particularly
young girls); historic and current separation of families resulting from the migrant labour system
which resulted in multiple sexual partners; high use of sex workers due to single-sex quarters at
the workplace; cultural resistance to the use of condoms; high rates of other STD’s; and high
levels of poverty and other inequalities such as health access and education. Stigma about HIV
is also a barrier to reaching the most vulnerable, including those already infected. The paper
draws the conclusion that discrimination against women, coupled with male dominance in all
aspects of social structures; polygamous marriages were prescribed and supervised by maledominated
social structures has increased the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the African
cultural context. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die HIV/Vigs pandemie wat tans Suid Afrika oorweldig is meestal die gevolg van
heteroseksuele oordrag. Hierdie verhandeling bespreek die manlike rol in die Afrika kultuur in
die konteks van MIV en Vigs. Aspekte wat die Afrika vroue in die gesig staar in terme van
gesinsgeweld bly `n aanhoudende probleem. Vroue word steeds deur hul manlike maats
gedomineer word en dus steeds nie `n vlak van gelykheid bereik het nie. Die onderdrukking van
vroue kan direk gekoppel word aan die toenemende aantal vroue wat met MIV/Vigs geïnfekteer
word – veral in die Afrika konteks. Kultuur speel ʼn kritieke rol in die bepaling van die
gesondheidsvlak van die individu, gesin en gemeenskap. Dit is besonder relevant in die Afrika
konteks, waar die waardes van `n uitgebreide gesin en gemeenskap ʼn enorme invloed het op die
optrede van `n individu. Hierdie optrede in verhouding tot die gesin en gemeenskap is `n
geweldige factor wat implikasies het op seksuele gedrag en op pogings tot voorkoming en beheer
van MIV/Vigs. Terwyl die impak van MIV/Vigs in Suid Afrika ongesteurd voortstu, word `n
kultuur gesentreerde benadering tot voorkoming, versorging en ondersteuning toenemend nodig
as `n kritieke strategie. Die fokus op die voorkoming van die heteroseksuele Vigs pandemie was
tot nou toe op vroue. Die rol van mans in seksuele besluitneming was tot dusvêr nie voldoende
beklemtoon in Vigs voorkomende benaderings nie. Die gevolg is dat die heteroseksuele Vigs
pandemie vir vroue ongesteurd voortduur weens die gebrek aan aandag op die gedrag van
manlike seksmaats. Bespreking fokus op die kulturele en kontemporêre seksuele kultuur as
vormende faktore in die uitvoer van hoë risiko seksuele gedrag. Daar is verskeie sosiale,
politieke, kulturele en ekonomiese faktore wat die MIV/Vigs pandemie in die streek beïnvloed.
Die belangrikstes is: lae status van vroue; manlike dominasie in seksuele en ekonomiese
verhoudings; seksuele mishandeling – veral van jong meisies; historiese en huidige skeiding van
gesinne voortspruitend uit die stelsel van trekarbeid – wat aanleiding gegee het tot `n
verskeidenheid van seksuele maats; die hoë voorkoms van sekswerkers agv enkelgeslag
woonkwartiere by die werksplek; kulturele weerstand teen die gebruik van kondome; hoë
voorkoms van seksueel oordraagbare siektes; hoë vlakke van armoede en ander ongelykhede
soos toegang tot gesondheidsdienste en onderwys. Die stigma van MIV/Vigs is ook `n hindernis
in die bereiking van die mees kwesbare, insluitend die wat geïnfekteer is. Hierdie verhandeling
maak die gevolgtrekking dat diskriminasie teen vroue, gekoppel met manlike dominasie in alle
aspekte van sosiale strukture; poligamiese huwelike wat voorgeskryf word en onder toesig is van
manlik gedomineerde sosiale strukture, die voorkoms van MIV/Vigs in die Afrika kulturele
konteks verhoog het.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/4195 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Ngubane, Siegfried Johan |
| Contributors | Schlecheter, A. F., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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