Event Title
“Making a difference”: Constructions of “race”/ethnicity in HIV prevention practice in the Netherlands
Start Date
26-6-2010 9:00 AM
End Date
26-6-2010 10:30 AM
Description
This presentation is part of the Constructing Race and Sexuality track.
In the Netherlands it is commonly stated that there exists ample evidence to show that cultural and ethnic backgrounds of certain groups hamper HIV and STI prevention, testing and treatment. Especially people of Antillean, Aruban, Surinamese and Sub Saharan African descent have emerged as groups in need of specific programs. Despite their widespread popularity and use, the mechanisms by which “racial”/ethnic and cultural characteristics are perceived to attribute to risk for HIV remains multiform, ambiguous and largely unsubstantiated. Most disturbing of these is the widely observable notion of “African” or “black” “exotic” and “exceptional” hyper sexuality. The consequences on such false imagery circulating implicitly in HIV interventions targeting “racial”/ethnic minorities can lead to victim and culture blaming, social exclusion and further social differentiation and discrimination. This paper considers the construction of “race”/ethnicity in HIV prevention policy and programming for ethnic minorities in the Netherlands. Findings are based on a content analysis of the Dutch HIV prevention literature, policy and programming for ethnic minorities. The content analysis focuses especially on how “race”/ethnicity and in relation “culture” are constructed and operationalized and when, how and where these concepts appear. As ethnicity focused HIV prevention is based on the idea that the targeted “racial”/ethnic minority needs a separate and specific intervention, the content analysis follows the reasoning behind this and operationalization of this notion in policy and programming. Final analysis considers how ethnicity focused HIV interventions in the Netherlands contribute to the formation of ethnic differences.
This paper discusses processes of social differentiation and ordering in scientific and professional practice. We move beyond analyses of theoretical constructs of differences, and rather follow concepts such as “race”, “ethnicity”, “gender”, “age” and “disability” and discuss how these are made “real” in scientific and professional practice. The topic of “gender” is frequently discussed in STS, likewise “race” and “ethnicity” and to a lesser extend “sexuality” and “disability” are not unfamiliar terms in STS. Nevertheless, the process by which scientific and technological practice contribute to the construction of differences is too rarely the subject of inquiry. Additionally, the intersectionality of differences, in mutual construction and enactment in situated practice as presented in this paper, providing greater insight into the interaction between scientific and professional practice and society.
“Making a difference”: Constructions of “race”/ethnicity in HIV prevention practice in the Netherlands
This presentation is part of the Constructing Race and Sexuality track.
In the Netherlands it is commonly stated that there exists ample evidence to show that cultural and ethnic backgrounds of certain groups hamper HIV and STI prevention, testing and treatment. Especially people of Antillean, Aruban, Surinamese and Sub Saharan African descent have emerged as groups in need of specific programs. Despite their widespread popularity and use, the mechanisms by which “racial”/ethnic and cultural characteristics are perceived to attribute to risk for HIV remains multiform, ambiguous and largely unsubstantiated. Most disturbing of these is the widely observable notion of “African” or “black” “exotic” and “exceptional” hyper sexuality. The consequences on such false imagery circulating implicitly in HIV interventions targeting “racial”/ethnic minorities can lead to victim and culture blaming, social exclusion and further social differentiation and discrimination. This paper considers the construction of “race”/ethnicity in HIV prevention policy and programming for ethnic minorities in the Netherlands. Findings are based on a content analysis of the Dutch HIV prevention literature, policy and programming for ethnic minorities. The content analysis focuses especially on how “race”/ethnicity and in relation “culture” are constructed and operationalized and when, how and where these concepts appear. As ethnicity focused HIV prevention is based on the idea that the targeted “racial”/ethnic minority needs a separate and specific intervention, the content analysis follows the reasoning behind this and operationalization of this notion in policy and programming. Final analysis considers how ethnicity focused HIV interventions in the Netherlands contribute to the formation of ethnic differences.
This paper discusses processes of social differentiation and ordering in scientific and professional practice. We move beyond analyses of theoretical constructs of differences, and rather follow concepts such as “race”, “ethnicity”, “gender”, “age” and “disability” and discuss how these are made “real” in scientific and professional practice. The topic of “gender” is frequently discussed in STS, likewise “race” and “ethnicity” and to a lesser extend “sexuality” and “disability” are not unfamiliar terms in STS. Nevertheless, the process by which scientific and technological practice contribute to the construction of differences is too rarely the subject of inquiry. Additionally, the intersectionality of differences, in mutual construction and enactment in situated practice as presented in this paper, providing greater insight into the interaction between scientific and professional practice and society.