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AIDS - A Social Disease: A Minor Field Study of Women with HIV/AIDS in Nicaragua

Kingod, Natasja (2008)
Social Anthropology
Abstract
HIV/AIDS is not to be looked upon as an entirely medical problem as will be explained throughout this thesis. In Nicaragua it is indeed a social disease due to social and cultural factors leading to the misery of HIV-positive women. Nicaragua is an interesting case when studying HIV/AIDS because it is the Central American country with the lowest number of official reported cases. However there are thought to be several explanations for this. Experts believe that the official low number of HIV/AIDS might be caused by underestimated, under-diagnosed or even falsified reporting due to the heavy social stigma it possesses. Among other explanations are that the Catholic Church does not allow sexual education at school and therefore unawareness... (More)
HIV/AIDS is not to be looked upon as an entirely medical problem as will be explained throughout this thesis. In Nicaragua it is indeed a social disease due to social and cultural factors leading to the misery of HIV-positive women. Nicaragua is an interesting case when studying HIV/AIDS because it is the Central American country with the lowest number of official reported cases. However there are thought to be several explanations for this. Experts believe that the official low number of HIV/AIDS might be caused by underestimated, under-diagnosed or even falsified reporting due to the heavy social stigma it possesses. Among other explanations are that the Catholic Church does not allow sexual education at school and therefore unawareness about the disease is high due to failures to recognize the signs of the disease. As people living with HIV/AIDS are ignored in Nicaragua by both the local and international community the only support group for women with HIV/AIDS has to use creative methods to attract donor money. The women living with HIV/AIDS have to learn how to be victims of a social disease and how to represent themselves as such. The association studied strives to empower the women through different group activities but is doubtful whether the women are empowered or disempowered. (Less)
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author
Kingod, Natasja
supervisor
organization
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
HIV/AIDS, Empowerment, Disempowerment, Victimization, Stigmatization, Deviance, Women, Social death, Social disease, Catholic Church, Cultural factors, Machismo, Gender studies, Genusvetenskap, Social sciences, Samhällsvetenskaper, Sociology, Sociologi, Social structures, Sociala strukturer, Social changes, theory of social work, Sociala förändringar, teorier om socialt arbete, Social psychology, Socialpsykologi
language
English
id
1317682
date added to LUP
2008-02-13 00:00:00
date last changed
2008-02-13 00:00:00
@misc{1317682,
  abstract     = {{HIV/AIDS is not to be looked upon as an entirely medical problem as will be explained throughout this thesis. In Nicaragua it is indeed a social disease due to social and cultural factors leading to the misery of HIV-positive women. Nicaragua is an interesting case when studying HIV/AIDS because it is the Central American country with the lowest number of official reported cases. However there are thought to be several explanations for this. Experts believe that the official low number of HIV/AIDS might be caused by underestimated, under-diagnosed or even falsified reporting due to the heavy social stigma it possesses. Among other explanations are that the Catholic Church does not allow sexual education at school and therefore unawareness about the disease is high due to failures to recognize the signs of the disease. As people living with HIV/AIDS are ignored in Nicaragua by both the local and international community the only support group for women with HIV/AIDS has to use creative methods to attract donor money. The women living with HIV/AIDS have to learn how to be victims of a social disease and how to represent themselves as such. The association studied strives to empower the women through different group activities but is doubtful whether the women are empowered or disempowered.}},
  author       = {{Kingod, Natasja}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{AIDS - A Social Disease: A Minor Field Study of Women with HIV/AIDS in Nicaragua}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}