LANGUAGE, BELIEFS AND THE HIV-AIDS CAMPAIGN IN AFRICA
Journal Title: European Journal of Business and Social Sciences - Year 2013, Vol 2, Issue 8
Abstract
African governments accepted the reality of HIV-AIDS as a matter of convenience and not out of conviction. As a result, many of them failed to achieve the targets they set for HIV-AIDS prevention. This paper attributes this failure to the language and concepts used in introducing HIV-AIDS as a disease and in promoting safer sex practices such as abstinence, being faithful and condom use (ABC) as the core measures for the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV infection. The paper observes that the concepts of HIV-AIDS, abstinence, mutual fidelity (monogamy) and condom use originated from the west and did not fit into the cosmology, the consensus of meaning and normative behaviour within the African sociocultural and economic environment and therefore could not engender the desired sexual behavioural changes at the group and individual levels. The paper notes however, that there are linguistic elements in some African countries studied that negatively or positively reinforce the spread of HIV-AIDS and promote large family size. By identifying the linguistic elements in the culture that positively reinforce HIV-AIDS prevention messages and behaviours, we may succeed in assimilating the people’s traditional values in line with the demands of modernity. There is therefore need for semantic restructuring of HIV-AIDS campaign messages so that words, slogans and messages originate from the community and reflect the linguistic and sociocultural realities of the people. By using local language, local idioms, local media and local social networks, we may succeed in reducing the semantic noise in HIV-AIDS messages.
Authors and Affiliations
Grade O. Imoh, Ph. D. | Department Of Mass Communication, Faculty Of The Social Sciences, Delta State University, P.M.B 1, Abraka, Tel:07063454591, e-mail: gradeimoh@gmail.com Delta State, Nigeria
POSITION OF THE INJURED PARTY IN KOSOVO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
Injured party shall be considered the person who has suffered any damage from the commission of a specific criminal offense. The injured party in criminal proceedings has the capacity of a party, but which in essence...
MICRO BUSINESSES – A FISCAL AND ACCOUNTING „TRAP†FOR THE TAX PAYER
The micro business is an economic category which constitutes a common practice in Romania. The majority among entities are categorized upon their foundation as micro businesses by the Registrar of Companies/Trade Regi...
CONSUMERS’ KNOWLEDGE ON INTEREST RATES AND REPAYMENT PERIOD ON CREDIT SOURCE
Quantitative approach was adopted where descriptive research design was be applied. A sample of 100 potential and existing credit consumers was used to collect data using a questionnaire, by visiting lending institut...
RECOMMENDATIONS IMPROVING TRAINING QUALITY TO MEET ENTERPRISES’ NEED AT DONG NAI UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM
Vietnam officially became a member of the WTO and TPP. So training high-quality human resources for Vietnam is the key to economic development. This is a very big task for the education sector at Dong Nai University....
THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT: AN EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS
This study investigates the Nigerian government Expenditure on Human Capital Development. The level of human capital development, which is a reflection of the level of health and education of a nation affect the level...