Aboriginal women living with HIV/AIDS an empowerment perspective

Summary: This qualitative research study focuses explicitly on understanding the experiences and perceptions of urban Aboriginal women living with HIV/AIDS. Stigmatizing attitudes and language have serious impacts upon the lives of HIV-positive Aboriginal women. The ways our society presently addresses the women needs to change. With the insights and assistance of four Aboriginal women living with HIV, this project adds to the presently sparse qualitative literature in this research area. Current research indicates that there are many factors associated with urban Aboriginal women being at higher risk for infection and lower physical and mental health, such as race, socio-economic conditions, isolation, oppression and violence, family history, substance abuse, discrimination, and often the responsibilities of childrearing. However, current research analysis and presentation is insufficient, and more in-depth questions arise. Material was collected using semi-structured, open-ended questioning conversations with the participants. Two guiding research questions were asked: 1) What is it like for you, living with HIV right now? and 2) What would you want other people to learn from your experiences? The women’s stories provide an avenue for participants to voice some of their triumphs and challenges about being an Aboriginal woman living with HIV/AIDS. For the community at large, this is also an opportunity to hear first-hand, important information such as this. In this work, I have tried to adhere to the tenets of Indigenous methodologies by allowing the life-stories to resonate as holistic representations. Rather than deconstructing the women’s stories through naturalistic analysis (which continues to categorize and to objectify participants), the stories are viewed through a Health Narrative Topography whereby thematic genres such as Restitution, Chaos, and Quest are illuminated, while also being critically aware of some of the limitations to this framework. Three overarching themes are revealed through the women’s stories: 1) the empowerment and resiliency demonstrated by the participants; 2) the need for cultural competency in a society that continues to stigmatize Aboriginal and HIV-positive women; and, 3) the need for a more holistic approach within society when it comes to education, learning, and healing.

Record details

Physical Description: electronic resource
1 electronic text (128 p.) : digital file.
Publisher: Vancouver : University of British Columbia, 2008.

Content descriptions

Dissertation Note:	Thesis (Master of Arts - MA)--University of British Columbia, 2008.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references.
Formatted Contents Note:	Intending -- A note on terminology -- An overview of HIV/AIDS -- Background to the problem -- Problem statement -- Purpose statement -- Standpoint: Impetus for the study -- Organization of the thesis -- Seeking -- Introduction -- Background to Aboriginal Canadians and HIV/AIDS -- Background to Canadian Aboriginal women and HIV/AIDS -- Age -- Gender relations, violence, and oppression -- Stigma and discrimination -- Access to health care -- Vulnerabilities to treatment -- Poverty and homelessness -- Colonization -- Shapeshifting: Research paradigm -- Theoretical perspectives: Indigenous education and knowledge; Shapeshifting research; Health narrative topography -- Methods: Narrative inquiry; Merging Indigenous knowledge and shapeshifting research with narrative inquiry -- Participants -- Collection methods and procedures -- Material analysis -- An empowerment perspective -- Verification and validation of study -- Ethical considerations -- Conversing -- Ginew's story -- Storm's story -- Roxanne's story -- Blue stone woman's story -- Understanding -- Dissemination of findings: The restitution narrative; The chaos narrative; The quest narrative -- A critical look at Frank's illness narrative topography -- Reflecting -- My story / Our stories -- A conversation with my community mentor -- In review (Successes of the study) -- In retrospect (Limitations of the study) -- Final considerations -- Thesis poems -- References -- Appendix A: Advertisement poster -- Appendix B: Letter of initial contact -- Appendix C: Consent form -- Appendix D: Conversation guide -- Appendix E: UBC research ethics board's certificate of approval.
Type of Computer File or Data Note:	586051 bytes application/pdf