The Battle Over Control: A Discourse Analysis of HIV/AIDS Caregiving in South Africa, Past and Present
Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (JIAPAC)
Published online on December 30, 2013
Abstract
In this discourse analytic article, I discuss the shifting challenges of HIV/AIDS caregiving, as highlighted in previous research, as well as the similarities between past and present challenges as illustrated by the discourses of HIV/AIDS caregivers at a nonprofit organization in South Africa. Using data from interviews with staff members and volunteers, I illustrate how both past and contemporary challenges in HIV/AIDS caregiving relate to an inability to exercise control. Participants’ discourses revealed a contrast whereby, on one hand, they conveyed a sense of being in control over HIV, while, contradictorily, their accounts contained instances of lack or loss of control. I discuss the implications of barriers to control in HIV/AIDS caregiving and the role of communication and interaction research. I conclude by endorsing ongoing, regular assessments of the needs of those undertaking such work in order to identify their evolving needs in light of evolving challenges.