Browsing by Author "Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne."

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Assessing learning needs of KwaZulu-Natal para-legals for managing HIV/AIDS.
(2004) Sithole, Sandile Nhlanhla.; Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne.; Kaye, Sylvia.
The Constitution of South Africa outlines the way in which the country should be run and lays down different levels of government and their powers. Most importantly it sets out a list of human rights in the Bill of Rights. These rights belong equally to all individuals. Stigmatization and discrimination of people on the basis of their HIV status is a violation of their basic human rights. In South Africa a person can have his or her rights upheld in court if they are violated or threatened by an individual or institution (whether the state, private company or any other organization). Enforcing the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS and/or their families, as well as countering and redressing discriminatory action, is a matter of accessing existing procedural, institutional or other resources that comprise the societal gains of democracy. However, the biggest challenge currently has to do with ordinary people's lack of awareness about their rights, and this pertains particularly to those millions of South Africans living with HIV/AIDS. This study sets out to examine the knowledge levels of para-legals currently advocating for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS and/or their families in KwaZulu Natal. With an infection rate estimated to be in the region of 36% of the adult population, it is essential that providers of legal advise and advocacy in this province have sound grasp of HIV/AIDS issues. It should be noted that this study attempts to move beyond a documentation of knowledge by exploring what such para-legals perceive their actual needs for more effective management of HIV/AIDS to be. The study seeks to make recommendations towards a better and more relevant training of para-legals, one that is needs-driven and more attuned to the context and lived realities of the people whom they seek to serve.
Demonizing women in the era of AIDS: an analysis of the gendered construction of HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal.
(1999) Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne.; Preston-Whyte, Eleanor.; Plaice, Evelyn.
As the second decade of AIDS draws to a close, researchers and others involved in the AIDS effort have come to appreciate that complex interactions between social, cultural, biological and economic forces are involved in shaping the epidemiological course of the disease. Nevertheless, the process by which these variables interact and affect each other remains poorly understood, with many of the shaping forces yet to be fully explored. In South Africa, the sociocultural matrix in which the AIDS epidemic is embedded and its role in shaping the interpretation and experience of AIDS have not been fully analyzed. This thesis represents an attempt to elucidate the finer nuances of some commonly-held local beliefs, perceptions, symbolic representations, ethnomedical explanatory models and mythologies associated with AIDS. These associations are viewed as directly informing the way in which Zulu-speaking people are experiencing and responding to HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu Natal, currently home to 1/3 of the country's estimated 3 million HIV infected people. In particular, the focus is on the gender patterning of AIDS, with ethnographic data drawn from extensive field experience at St Wendolin's Mission, a peri-urban settlement in the Marianhill district of Durban. The shared perception of women as naturally 'dirty', as sexually 'out of control' and suspected of using witchcraft in new ways, are identified and discussed as key conceptual strands contributing to the sociocultural construction of HIV/AIDS in that community. It is argued that these notions are metaphorically joining and combining in ways that 'gender' the AIDS epidemic and simultaneously 'demonize' women. The central tenet of this thesis is that HIV/AIDS is fundamentally associated with women as a female caused and transmitted disease that can and does affect men. The author argues that the gendered construction of AIDS in St Wendolin's is a reflection of patriarchal resistance to women's changing roles and expectations that represent an overstepping of culturally defined moral boundaries. Deeply embedded ways of thinking associated with notions of gender are viewed as germane to the disempowerment of women that ultimately impedes the fight against HIV/AIDS. The thesis concludes with a discussion on the opportunity which the current AIDS epidemic presents for wider sociocultural transformation, and how this might be achieved through an AIDS 'education for liberation' based on the philosophies of Paulo Freire.
Health seeking behaviour : maternal care giving to preschoolers in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
(2002) Dladla-Qwabe, Anna Nozizwe.; Plaice, Evelyn.; Niehaus, Isak Arnold.; Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne.
This dissertation is an examination of salient factors that influence the health seeking behaviour of mothers/caregivers of pre-school children in Kwangwanase, KwaZuluNatal province, South Africa. Health seeking behaviour for pre-school children is poorly understood, and is influenced by an array of complex factors that inhibit full utilisation of available health services. Amongst other things, health-seeking behaviour is influenced by cultural beliefs about children's illnesses as well as the local availability of treatment options, and the perceived quality of care provided. This dissertation represents the findings of a combined qualitative and quantitative research approach using free listing, pile sorts, interview schedules, logbooks and observation to explore health-seeking behaviour. Research focussed on the local knowledge held in relation to childhood illnesses that affect children under age six, along with the explanatory models used to discern causation and shape decisions regarding treatment and care. Mothers and caregivers of Kwangwanase draw upon their existing knowledge of children's illnesses, including notions of disease causation, when making diagnoses and deciding between home treatments and professional consultation. Mothers and caregivers pay close attention to the well being of small children. They are constantly involved in the routine management of health and illness. Various treatment options are utilised in a pragmatic way, as mothers and caregivers pick and choose from all available health resources as and when they see fit. Cultural beliefs, accessibility, religious views and other factors influence their choice of health service. Depending on the quality of the care provided and the outcome of the therapeutic intervention, mothers and caregivers are likely to consult several different health care providers in a sequential manner.
Manipulating metaphors : an analysis of beadwork craft as a contemporary medium for communicating on AIDS and culture in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2006) Wells, Kate.; Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne.
This thesis is an analysis of a creative design HIV/AIDS communication programme named Siyazama (we are trying) that works in association with rural traditional beaded cloth doll makers from KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. As a reflective thesis it represents a hermeneutic opportunity to ascertain the extent to which an interdisciplinary programme of HIV/AIDS education and training impacted on the lives of the women involved and how their expert skills of craftswomen were employed to understand and address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic. What began in 1996 on invitation from the African Art Centre in Durban as a simple intervention to upgrade craft techniques and craft construction developed of its own accord into a unique HIV/AIDS intervention in 1999. The communication mode in which the rural women were skilled - beadwork - was long used by women in KwaZulu-Natal as a mode of communication to circumvent the Zulu cultural taboo on discussion of matters of emotional and sexual intimacy called hlonipha. In the modern era of HIV/AIDS, this same mode has been revived and reworked as a means for affecting communication about the many sensitive and taboo issues that surround this disease. There is much scientific evidence which points to the fact that women in this part of the world are far more susceptible than men to HIV infection, largely due to their lower social status, their economic dependence on men and their need to manage the large-scale poverty that affects them and their families. All of this contributes to increasing their vulnerability to AIDS. Ethnographic analysis of the experience of HIV/AIDS amongst Zulu-speaking craftswomen in KwaZulu-Natal has also revealed the nature of the complex cultural belief system that is alive and articulated in the local art and AIDS interface. This thesis describes the myriad ways in which a particular group of rural women of KwaZulu-Natal, owing to certain customary prescriptions, appear as largely silenced on sexual and sensitive relationship issues. Yet, their expert abilities in beadwork have afforded these women the opportunity to express innermost concerns about the epidemic in three dimensional forms. The historical record of KwaZulu-Natal shows us how beadwork was often used traditionally by women to take the place of speaking. The Siyazama Project beadwork exhibit, comprising over 300 pieces of individual beaded artifacts and collected between 1999 and 2005, provides verification of the continued existence of this form of expression. It is an archive of the fields of inquiry which were covered in the Siyazama educational programme starting with 'breaking the silence on AIDS' in 1999 and ending with anti-retroviral therapies (ART) in 2005. The relationship between the beaded crafts and the AIDS educational information which was received during the course of the Siyazama AIDS educational programme is explained through an analysis of this beaded collection. As an in depth qualitative study of the experiences and impact of the HIV/AIDS intervention with women beadworkers from rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, this thesis represents an attempt to account for how a creative design HIV/AIDS communication programme has impacted on the lives of the women reached by the programme, and how their skills as craftswomen have been utilized to make sense of the local HIV/AIDS epidemic whilst raising awareness about AIDS in their communities. The overall aim of the study is to interpret the effect and effectiveness of beadwork craft as a visual metaphoric mode of expression, and to define the way the project sought to circumvent particular cultural taboos on the discussion of sexuality and other matters of personal intimacy. The study describes some of the common beliefs and attitudes that persisted at the time at which the project commenced and demonstrates how these have been 're-written and re-corded' in beadwork throughout the six-year duration of the intervention. My focus throughout is on assessing the value of this project through proposing the medium of beadwork as a contemporary and unique cultural archive that speaks to the complexities of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa.
Mass rape in north and south Kivu provinces from 1996-2001: understanding the reasons for ongoing sexual violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo conflicts.
(2009) Kilimani, Lambo II.; Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne.
This study investigates the factors behind the mass rape of women from 1996-2001 in North and South Kivu provinces during the 1996-2003 armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Atrocities against women have always been a significant concern in feminist agendas and discourses. In time of peace as in time of war, women remain at the center stage of male violence. The Democratic Republic of Congo conflicts are reported to have killed more people than in Iraq, Afghanistan and Darfur combined. Sexual violence against women in North and South Kivu, DRC is believed to be the worst in the world. Women in these two provinces were raped, forced into prostitution, mutilated, and to some extent, subjected to further inhumane acts such as shooting and the introduction of objects into their private parts. HIV and AIDS, and other sexual transmitted diseases constitute some of the extra diagnosis associated with the victims. Yet, to date, no one understands why these women continue to be raped on a daily basis. The 1996-2003 Congo conflict has witnessed the involvement of several countries such as Angola, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Yet, none of these interventionist countries have ever condemned sexual atrocities committed against women in DRC, in general and in North and South Kivu, in particular. Despite having a democratically elected government and legitimate institutions such as courts of law and tribunals, crimes of this kind committed against women continue unabated. The policies of militarism and wars either intended for regime change or in the pursuit of the world's resources have increased the threat of armed conflicts which expose women to rape. The continuation of sexual violence in these two provinces has led to the view by many media groups and humanitarian organizations that rape is used as a weapon of war. The Constitution of the DRC prior to the conflict was biased towards women. The post conflict Constitution approved in February 2006 is theoretically accommodating of gender-based discrimination. Nationally, impunity for rape perpetrators has become a norm. Internationally, rape has long been mischaracterized and diminished by military and political leaders which lead to the belief that there is a strong undercurrent of patriarchal phenomenon involving many global institutions of power. The implication of discriminating, gender-based provisions in the constitution and the failure to implement policies that empower women has most of the time strengthened the social construction of masculinity and its idolization which are perceived as the social roots of violence against women during wartime. In many armed conflicts similar to that of the North and South Kivu, women have always been the victims. Yet, men involved in combat have often negotiated peace between themselves rather than justice for the victims. Justice for women in this part of the world remains elusive.
A socio-cultural study of type II diabetes mellitus among the Indian population in Reservoir Hills, Durban.
(2001) Baboolal, Cheron.; Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne.
Whereas there has been much interest amongst anthropologists in the West in studying diseases such as Type II Diabetes Mellitus, there appears to be a paucity of local anthropological studies that analyse the social and cultural dimensions of this disease. In this country, according to the South African Diabetes Association, this disease is most prevalent in the South African Indian population. This study focuses on the South African Indian community in the suburb of Reservoir Hills, Durban, and examines socio-cultural issues around diabetes. Previous research conducted overseas has demonstrated a strong link: between rapid socio-economic changes that affect diet and lifestyle, and increases in the incidence of this disease among particular communities. This dissertation represents an attempt to: 1. Document salient features of the lifestyle, food beliefs and habits of the Indian population. 2. Discuss significant changes in lifestyle and diet that may have contributed to the rise of this disease among the Indian population. 3. Through an analysis of common discourse, analyse and record the thoughts and feelings of research participants regarding the disease and the manner in which they cope with diabetes. Case studies are used to support the author's arguments and an attempt is made to use the research findings to identify ways for community members to better cope with the disease. A number of suggestions and recommendations from medical experts with an interest in diet and lifestyle on prevention and management of diabetes are included in the study. The author argues that a few relatively simple lifestyle/diet changes may have the effect of lowering the high incidence of diabetes in the South African Indian population.
South African Indians and HIV/AIDS: contextual factors in the experiences of HIV/AIDS in Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2010) Naidoo, Y.; Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne.
This study set out to examine contextual level drivers of HIV among the South African Indian community of Chatsworth. Very little is currently known about HIV/AIDS among South African Indians. It was from this starting point that I set out to research this largely unexplored study topic, to gain insight into and understanding of the non-biological factors that underlie the spread of HIV/AIDS among people in Chatsworth. In-depth interviews, informal discussions and participant observation were carried out among community members, including members who were HIV positive. Findings revealed that poverty, gender power relations and stigma were major social factors contributing to the growth of HIV/AIDS within the South African Indian community of Chatsworth. Poverty places many in vulnerable positions, having to choose between treatment and disability grants to buy food for example, and gender inequalities make women more susceptible to contracting HIV than men. Culture plays a role in placing women in high risk situations. Furthermore stigma, denial and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS makes it very difficult for HIV positive people to disclose their status and to live their lives in the community. The importance of understanding the context in which the HIV/AIDS pandemic is occurring and the various cultural factors that play a role in the experience of HIV/AIDS in people?s lives, is argued to be vital to the development of successful strategies to prevent and manage the disease.
Understanding HIV/AIDS effects through systems principles : a case study of home-based care giving in Bhambayi.
(2009) Meyiwa, Thenjiwe.; Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne.
This dissertation, employing an array of theoretical approaches under the rubric of Systems Thinking, explores the reality and experiences of family members that mainly provide care at home for their loved ones who live with or are directly affected by HIV & AIDS. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the dissertation demonstrates how Systems Thinking, feminist and indigenous knowledge principles can be employed for a better understanding of the contemporary construction of family and experiences of caregivers in an HIV & AIDS context. The discussion of the dissertation is based on data analysed following in-depth interviews with fifteen caregivers of the Bhambayi community. The findings of the study reflect a significant change in the definition and practice of parenting. It was found that HIV & AIDS forces a re-definition of the concept and practice of parenting beyond the traditional boundaries of age, sex and gender. Aligned with this main finding was that parenting practices and coping strategies are largely influenced by a strong commitment to the well-being of the children as well as societal constructs. The thesis of this dissertation is that the HIV & AIDS context and associated gender and cultural stereotypes are principally responsible for a significant shift in the understanding of the concept and practice of parenting within an African context. The study thus submits that a Systems Thinking approach ought to be used by interventionists to better understand and thus contribute towards improving the lives of families or communities in similar circumstance as that of the Bhambayi families.