Developing AIDS, A study of AIDS in the context of other social problems in New Crossroad, Cape Town

Abstract: Development is often looked upon in economical terms and often research tries to investigate how one country can produce or sell more in order to increase its GDP. This thesis does not exclude these considerations but focuses on health as an important aspect of development. I investigate why South Africans (SA) would place their lives at risk with full knowledge of AIDS by not using freely available protection when having sex. Once an individual is lost to AIDS SA does not just loose an income earner to the family but years of experience, skills and that individual’s personal networks. On the surface it appears that the SA government is working against development initiatives by compromising the stop AIDS campaigns. The increase in infections is seen as a sexual behavior problem by the safe sex campaigns and I am suggesting that there is a historical explanation to the problem. With this hypothesis I went to SA to do fieldwork amongst a Township community which is affected by AIDS. As an analytical strategy the thesis aims to explore how people in SA presently understand and rationalize AIDS and what informs government strategies for developing AIDS policies. I explore through history how present individual conduct can be understood. I look at the structural failure of their AIDS prevention management through the good governance theory. I use the institutional theory to understand how history has informed government and personal perceptions of AIDS. Through the Motivation theory I examine how individual needs are structured in relation to AIDS and the violent nature of social conditions in New Crossroads, Cape Town. Through the use of my theories I conclude that there are social structures where certain cultural and economical conditions are prominent which encourage risking infection by AIDS. I conclude that in SA there is a need for capacity building, good governance and inclusion of social conditions in their AIDS policy.