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Ini oru vidhi seivom (Lets make a new
beginning) Lets make it right! Framing
Information about HIV/AIDS in India Mangala
Subramaniam Purdue University
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Campaign - UNDP
Ini oru vidhi seivom (Lets make a new beginning)
Lets make it right!
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This Study

• Focus of paper
• - Discourses Frames encompassed within each
  discourse
• Questions explored in this research are
• To what extent and in what ways do organizations
  deploy specific types of framess (moral,
  economic, rights and/or health) that consider
  gender, and the social statuses of caste and
  class when dealing with the socio-cultural
  dimension of HIV/AIDS?
• How have organizations, from their standpoint,
  used and/or adopted translocal frames
  (local-global connections)?

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Framework (1)
In this paper, I examine three main strands in
the discourse around HIV/AIDS information
dissemination and the frames they encompass. The
first manifests itself in the medicalization of
the issue by adopting a western lens to
formulating messages through the involvement of
international agencies based primarily in the
developed world. These debates are anchored in
the emphasis on hi-tech, urban based, and
hospital centered prevention and care system that
serves only those who can afford and access such
assistance. This strand encompasses what I refer
to as the health frame as well as a moral frame.
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Framework (2)
The second strand of discourse emanates from
primarily donors bilateral and multilateral
agencies and western government institutions,
applying their global prescriptions (including
providing technical experts) sometimes based on
ideology, to adopt programs that are supposedly
aimed at arresting infections. This discourse
draws on multiple frames such as the moral frame,
health frame and the rights frame. I analyze
these frames as donor driven messaging. The
third strand of discourse focuses on the
tools/mechanisms for information dissemination
with varying emphasis involving local struggles
which include conflicts and cooperation in the
frames deployed. The various agencies and NGOs
prefer certain cultural tools over others and
thereby choose to focus on primarily health
frames or rights frame.
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Context

• India, 2004 estimated 5.13 million individuals
  live with the virus in India 3.13 million among
  men 2 million among women.
• India has the second largest population of people
  living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), next to South
  Africa.
• Total number of infections are greater in rural
  India (2.96 million) compared to urban India
  (2.17 million) (NACO 2005).
• Almost 70 of the infections are concentrated in
  six states categorized as high prevalence states.
  
• Tamil Nadu one of 6 categorized as 'high
  prevalence' because HIV prevalence rates exceed 5
  per cent among high-risk groups and exceed 1
  percent among antenatal women.
• First known case of HIV reported in Chennai
  (South India) in 1986 This study focuses on state
  of Tamil Nadu.

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Involving Youth Red Ribbon Clubs
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Street Play Providing Information
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Conclusion
Translocal messages translocal connections can
facilitate the sharing of ideas and expertise and
foster technical collaboration and at the same
time can involve the enforcement of western
ideas/policies as standardized ways and practices
with little recognition of local
knowledge/context Programs and interventions
packaged in ways that overlooks local social and
cultural needs should be critically examined
before implementation to avoid the consequences
as was seen in the TNAIDS3s abstinence program
for the youth. Agencies must recognize the
perils and politics of multiple and different
messages. Significant variations creates a
cacophony of voices which is of little use to the
larger goal of disseminating information because
it can lead to confusion in the minds of
recipients and lead to assimilation of incorrect
and/or misleading information.