The role of social networks in HIV/AIDS education in Dedza District, Malawi
Vanessa June Houston · The Atrium (University of Guelph) · 2006
This research engages a social network approach to exploring HIV/AIDS education in Dedza District, Malawi. Qualitative research methods are employed, including interviews and focus group discussions, to study HIV/AIDS education at the community and individual level. At the community level, full relational network analysis illustrates how actors such as teachers, traditional healers, village chiefs, nongovernmental organizations and religious leaders approach HIV/AIDS education (formally and informally) given prevailing socio-cultural contexts. At the individual level, an ego-centered framework reveals network typologies as defined by the type of actors, size of networks, and the relationships between focal individuals and their respective network partners. This typology makes it possible to identify the commonalities and differences between individuals with similar HIV/AIDS communication networks, while providing a greater understanding of the role of multiple actors in the transmission and reception of HIV/AIDS messages. In this way, the current research considers the appropriateness HIV/AIDS education in Malawi and the potential role for social networks in the education process.