People living with HIV and AIDS in everyday conditions of township life in South Africa: between structural constraint and individual tactics

Abstract

The HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa has negatively transformed the lives of many in townships and rural areas. People living with AIDS (PWAs) are the socially weakened, whose means of survival include migrating, enduring gender violence, and they are thus confined to living in the margins of society. Using the concept of tactic as defined by de Certeau, this paper shows how anthropology can use the narratives of everyday life to make sense of the different ways the socially weakened create networks of support, find a cure, and generate forms of income or use running away as a means to avoid gender violence. This paper argues that if the State hopes to successfully introduce antiretroviral therapy and so turn everyday logics of survival into long-term strategies, it needs to commit itself firmly to reducing inherited forms of inequalities. Similarly, the State's commitment to eradicate poverty also requires it to take cognisance of the different borderline activities the socially weakened regard as avenues of survival. Rather than morally condemn such activity as a wrongdoing, the State should enhance its knowledge of the socio-economic conditions that almost coerce the socially weakened to 'do wrong'. The data were collected during intensive fieldwork carried out in Alexandra township and Diepkloof (Gauteng) in 2001 - 2002, using participant observation and repeated in-depth interviews.

Exploring the Relationships Among Food Insecurity, Alcohol Use, and Sexual Risk Taking Among Men and Women Living in South African Townships

“…Today townships continue to be characterized by extreme poverty with 57% unemployment (Duval Smith, 2011); poor infrastructure for shelter, electricity and sanitation (Fihlani, 2010); and among the highest rates of violence in the world (Jewkes et al, 2009). Dire economic, political, and social conditions have led to an environment in which multiple risk factors for HIV infection are prevalent (Le Marcis & Ebrahim-Vally, 2005; Wood & Jewkes, 1997). …”

“A Body Like a Baby”: Social Self-Care among Older People with Chronic HIV in Mombasa

“…The psychosocial well-being of older caregivers is related to structural poverty, increased care responsibilities, medical problems, the loss of strength in old age, grief and mourning over the loss of loved ones, and lack of support (Oburu and Palmerus 2003;Seeley et al 2009;Wright et al 2012). For older people living with HIV in Mombasa, the 'stress of everyday life' (Le Marcis and Ebrahim-Vally 2005; see also Manderson and Smith-Morris 2010;Prince 2012;Whyte 2014;Mattes 2014) is mainly felt in relation to bodily ability.…”