Teaching AIDS : The Cultural Politics of HIV Disease in India

This book approaches the subject of AIDS pedagogy by analysing the complex links between representation or discourse, ideology, power relations and practices of self, understood from the perspective of embodiment. While there is a fairly large amount of literature available on the social, economic, psychological and policy dimensions of the epidemic, there is virtually nothing on its cultural politics. As a critique of the national AIDS pedagogy, this book attempts to fill the gap. It addresses important issues in cultural studies, body studies, medical humanities, disease control policy and behaviour change communication strategies. This book will be of interest to researchers and students of culture studies and social sciences, especially social anthropology, community health, health management. and gender studies. Dedication 5 Acknowledgments 6 Contents 8 About the Author 10 Chapter 1: AIDS Awareness and Behaviour Change: An Interdisciplinary Perspective 11 References 26 Chapter 2: Pedagogy, Power and the Subject of Disease Control 28 2.1 Pedagogy, Ideology, Subjectivity: Freire and Althusser 30 2.2 Pedagogy and the Disciplining of Embodied Subjects: Foucault 37 2.3 Representing Disease: The Social Construction of Reality 42 2.4 Language and the Body in Pain 45 2.5 Conclusion 50 References 54 Chapter 3: Incipient Pedagogy I: AIDS in the National Media 58 3.1 Discursive Construction of AIDS in the Indian Media 60 3.2 Theory of Foreign Origin 62 3.3 Ordering Disorder: Profiling the Nation’s “Other” 66 3.4 Imag(in)ing the “AIDS Victim” 72 3.5 Conclusion 76 References 79 Chapter 4: Incipient Pedagogy (II): AIDS Narratives 82 4.1 Disease Versus Illness 83 4.2 Representing Disease and Illness 85 4.3 The Disease Travelogue: Sex, Lies and AIDS and Positive Lives 86 4.4 AIDS Sutra: Living with the Virus 96 4.5 Narrative and the System of Norms 102 4.6 “Innocent Victims”: A Dove in Desert, Nidaan, Ek Alag Mausam 105 4.7 Disease as Culpability: Phir Milenge and My Brother... Nikhil 112 4.8 Conclusion 116 References 117 Chapter 5: AIDS and the Enigma of Law 121 5.1 Structure and Process in Law 122 5.2 Law and the Enigma of Biopolitics 125 5.3 Segregating the Diseased: Lucy D’Souza V. State of Goa 129 5.4 Suspended Rights: Mr. X V. Hospital Z 132 5.5 Disease as Contagion: Dhirendra Pandua V. State of Orissa 135 5.6 Interpretation and Indeterminacy in Law 140 5.7 The Enigma of Corporeal Justice: M. Vijaya V. Chairman and Managing Director, Singareni Collieries 144 5.8 Conclusion 149 References 153 Chapter 6: AIDS Awareness Campaigns: Pedagogy as Strategy 156 6.1 Paradigms of Public Health 157 6.2 Health Education, Expert Knowledge and the Shaping of Subjectivity 163 6.3 NACO and the Nationalization of AIDS 165 6.4 NACO and the Nationalization of Pedagogy 169 6.5 The Pedagogy of Risk: Mehr-un-Nisa and Let’s Talk About AIDS 177 6.6 Teaching Lifestyle Management: Saavdhaan and Handbook on AIDS Home Care 185 6.7 Conclusion 189 References 191 Chapter 7: AIDS Amma Shrine: Pedagogy as Tactics 195 7.1 Genealogical Descent 200 7.2 Ritual Structure 207 7.3 Epistemological Implications 220 7.4 Tactical Pedagogy 222 7.5 Conclusion 224 References 226 Chapter 8: Conclusion: Towards a Critical Medical Humanities 229 References 235 Front Matter ....Pages i-xi AIDS Awareness and Behaviour Change: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (Dilip K. Das)....Pages 1-17 Pedagogy, Power and the Subject of Disease Control (Dilip K. Das)....Pages 19-48 Incipient Pedagogy I: AIDS in the National Media (Dilip K. Das)....Pages 49-72 Incipient Pedagogy (II): AIDS Narratives (Dilip K. Das)....Pages 73-111 AIDS and the Enigma of Law (Dilip K. Das)....Pages 113-147 AIDS Awareness Campaigns: Pedagogy as Strategy (Dilip K. Das)....Pages 149-187 AIDS Amma Shrine: Pedagogy as Tactics (Dilip K. Das)....Pages 189-222 Conclusion: Towards a Critical Medical Humanities (Dilip K. Das)....Pages 223-229