6.1 THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS
6.1.2 CULTURAL ISSUES
As was mentioned earlier, the fact that the roles of some people in the poster were difficult to identify because their backgrounds were not clearly represented made the message difficult to interpret. As a result, some of the learners’ interpretations of the message appeared to be
155 influenced by experiences within their cultural context as Basotho, but not necessarily within that of their learning institutions.
The normative beliefs influenced by certain appearances implying promiscuity seemed to be so strong that they blinded respondents from seeing an alternative reality, where not only
‘scantily dressed’ characters ‘sleep around’, but also those so called ‘innocent’ characters have numerous partners and could therefore be promiscuous as well. For instance, when asked what they would like to include or delete from the poster so that it conveyed the expected intention, learners pointed at many things which were associated with the scantily dressed female (referring to the woman who was labelled a crocodile by TIL learners, a horse-and-trailer at LCE and a prostitute or sex-worker at NUL), but ignored aspects that were related to those people who were considered to be innocent. Respondents seemed to be misled by the appearances, so much so that they held on to the fact that people whose looks, according to them, was considered to be beautiful or handsome are innocent and well behaved regardless of the fact that they may have more partners than the scantily dressed. They did not see the danger of judging people only by their appearance:
F2: No, this one is troublesome more than any other M3: …look at her mini skirt
R: Why do you say she is the most troublesome because this one adjacent to her seem to be going is having four, there’s even a woman included?
F1: …but she does not look as troublesome as this one (TIL: 332-337)
Several cultural issues which challenged some of the aforementioned normative beliefs about who is attractive and who is not, again emerged when examining whether the message
matched the picture or not. At this juncture, respondents appeared to have particular,
normative ideas about who looks responsible and who does not. This reflected how much they aspired to be trusted in an effort to please a partner rather than being afraid of HIV. Their responses illustrated that they were not concerned about the illness, since to some of them HIV did not appear to be an issue to be avoided, but it was simply a disease that needed a cure:
156 F1: No, these ones, they look innocent, they do not look like people who like “nice time”
F3: …who are smiling so much, yes and this one in white outfit, her smile shows that she’s forever chatting
M4: As for this who is wearing stomach out; no (sounding disgusted) (TIL: 167-172) F1: That’s true. Me too, that’s how AIDS came to be mentioned even with us, I agree with you. We all know that this monster is here with us yet it’s like every one of us want to appear as if he or she has to be brave as if you would be considered a coward if you portray that you’re scared or worried about it. Guys let us be honest isn’t it why you’ll find that we use condoms twice or thrice, and on the fourth round you start complaining that ahh it looks like you don’t trust me, it looks like you don’t love me if one insist on using condoms, just be honest (LCE: 2042-2052)
F4: Of course we’ve to socialize and there is no way you can socialize without nice times
F3: It is natural that at this stage people like nice times and they should fully
participate so that they wouldn’t look back after they’ve passed onto the next stage.
Rather these people should be warning us on how to protect ourselves against AIDS rather than scaring us. No, I think it’s wrong. Every young person is naturally entitled to going out upon reaching that age. We’re entitled to go out and enjoy ourselves just like our parents did. I don’t deny it this may differ from place to place, but it’s our right (NUL: 2312-2317)
To emphasise that HIV is not an issue to be avoided, but is simply a disease that needed a cure, their responses indicated stigmatization and discrimination based on the way they seemed to relate to some people in the picture. Consequently, some people were considered to be homosexuals. This referred to two or more males who seemed to be connected by the arrows/lines. The same applied to the females, where two or more who were connected by the arrows/lines were considered to be lesbians. As a result, it was understood that if a person likes ‘nice times’, he or she is likely to sleep with defamed characters such as prostitutes, lesbians, homosexuals, including taxi drivers, and the thought of that kind of relationship disgusted the respondents and revealed ‘traditional’ cultural attitudes and bias. Although the message was intended to convey that one can get HIV from anybody, regardless of that person’s educational, economic or social status, most respondents seemed not to think so.
Even though they may not be aware of this, it was acknowledged that they might nevertheless be mixing with a wide social range of people through sexual transmission:
157 F5: …here it means; if you like nice time, you’re likely to find yourself sleeping with many people such as prostitutes, lesbians and hmmm…as well (sounding disgusted) R: Oh. Do you mean if you like nice time you’ll likely go for prostitutes and lesbians as well?
M1: Yes.
M3: …and the gay, putting yourself at risk (TIL: 75-82)
F4: …meaning you can find yourself meeting with the crocodile unaware?
F1: Yes, it is true that it (crocodile) would have gone there to execute its intentions and this student unknowingly finds herself sharing him with it (NUL: 1501-1505)
The discussions also revealed very important cultural issues about visual communication and the role of pictures that must be understood in any communication medium. It was illustrated that it is important for print IEC materials producers to be aware of normative values and assumptions when presenting images, so that message recipients will avoid misinterpretation in the ways indicated by the learners in the following extracts:
F1: …also one could mistakenly think HIV infects only those who dress in this fashion (TIL: 501-502)
F3: Yes, as it is they could miss the message. One could even wish to come down to the lowlands in order to be like these people, thinking that this is how life should be (LCE: 236-239)
F5: I for one prefer written things because I never want to deviate because with a picture you’ve to make assumptions. You’ve to assume that this means this or that yet with written things you don’t have to make any assumptions (NUL: 1729-1733) Learners seemed to have contextualized the setting for what is happening in the poster to what happens in their own lives. It is worth acknowledging that there were some overlaps, where some issues to do with meaning making and contextual relevance were more related to semiotics in terms of interpreting signs and images, but others were about meaning making in terms of understanding the issue. The next sub-section relates how learners associated the poster’s message with real life scenarios under the sub theme contextual relevance.
Contextual Relevance
The circumstances that form a setting for what is happening in the poster seemed to emphasise what was happening in the learners’ social context, since, in terms of semiotic theory, the way individuals make meaning depends a lot on their context and experience. This is because these shape the interpretant which in turn combines with the object (intended message) and the sign
158 to influence the final meaning that is derived. Hence, the question na u kena baneng? is meant to be closely connected to what is happening in the viewer’s world in regard to HIV. Even so, the intention to attract ‘lovers’ (ho kena baneng meaning they liked ‘nice time’) seemed to be at the forefront of some respondents’ thoughts, instead of the negative implications that may occur as a result of such relationships. They appeared to be less worried about HIV as a focus of attention:
F2: …some seem to like beauty, they like to look good
R: Oh, you see people who like beauty, what are they doing that makes you say that?
F2: Because of things they‘re wearing to smarten up themselves R: Ok and what does that say to you?
F3: They are trying to attract attention R: Ok.
M2: Yes, they like to be proposed [to]
F2: Yes, someone who wants to attract others (TIL: 119-128)
It can be assumed that the poster had not quite captured the intended message that would help the targeted audience to arrive at the most informed judgment. Rather, it appeared as if the poster wanted the learners to forfeit their rights to enjoy relationships. This was illustrated by responses to the question about what the learners understood as the kinds of benefits they could get by following the message from the poster. It was evident that they were not prepared to let go of their existing behaviour, no matter how risky it may be:
F1: My sister you can say that again. Hmm! For instance if I get a lecturer I can maybe agree to practice unprotected sex because the truth is we’re here for two things,
academic certificates and marriage certificates with the so called better people. Who wouldn’t like to be married to somebody with an academic degree? (NUL: 2435-2440) However, some respondents looked at this point from a potentially educative dimension
where, by including mature adults, the same poster could be relevant beyond the immediate target audience. They were of the opinion that their parents needed to be included in the targeted audience, because first and foremost HIV does not observe age limits, so it is
essential that adults be equipped with information. Again, learners raised a strong argument in favour of materials which can be used to start discussions in families and for future reference.
They were also concerned that on occasion the poster may be the only source of information
159 that is freely available in certain areas. Therefore, if mature adults are included, it could easily attract their attention if they interpret it correctly and can share the ‘right’ message:
M3: Adults should also be included so as to attract their attention, because even if they no longer go out with many people but they could pass the message on to their
children
M4: Yes it can help give them an idea on where to start the discussions relating to HIV with their children, especially when we know that it is not easy for our parents to talk about sexually related issues with us (TIL: 558-566)
F2: …but I think it should include adults because HIV does not have age limit, it attacks even old, old people. It does not infect youth only. So it has to give room for my mother to get the message when reading it
F3: …but not only for her benefit but also for her to be able to teach people like Kabelo about these things
R: Who are those?
F3: Grandchildren (NUL: 2226-2233)
Furthermore, the opinion of learners representing urban areas or lowlands seemed to undermine people from rural or mountainous areas:
F6: …but when you get to Thaba-Tseka would they still understand what you’re saying when talking things (like na u kena baneng). I don’t think people they would understand what you’re saying (NUL: 2160-2163).
This was emphasised in responses to the question that asked whether or not the poster had any offensive issues that could prevent it from being circulated within the wider society, that is, whether or not the poster was culturally acceptable to them as Basotho, and to them as members of communities in their respective districts or institutions:
F4: Do you want to tell me I speak the same language as my age-mates from up the mountains, which are not exposed to same things as I am? No, no ways. They would be having a youth slang alright, but theirs in there ... would not be the same as this one (NUL: 2205-2209)
In addition, learners contextually related what is happening in the poster to real life intergenerational sex-related issues in the country.
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Intergenerational Sex Issues
The overall impression from the learners’ responses was that they seemed to appreciate circumstances that formed a setting of ‘nice times’ in the poster, because it demonstrated realities of life, where, for instance, young boys go out with mature adult women commonly called ‘sugar mummies’ and young girls go out with mature adult men, called ‘sugar daddies’:
F5: I like it because it shows what is practically happening; it gives the true picture that students go out with older people and drivers of four-plus-ones (TIL: 454-456)
Even though some of these contextually related issues came about in forms of
recommendation, they were found to be important because they revealed a need to make the poster inclusive of mature adults, as it talked about the things that were actually happening in the country. For instance, respondents indicated that it would be good if the picture included mature adults since, in reality they partake in those kinds of sexual interrelationships:
F2: Even though it is meant for youth as such, can I suggest that we include a picture of an adult person, maybe that of a male or a female?
M4: …or even both, yes as for instance, even though we’re not certain of who is behind the wheel in this car, all I know is it might be somebody as old as this girl’s father and all I know is she might be negotiating him to buy, judging from the way she’s dressed. Apart from that it is a fact that we cannot run away from that it is adults who buy from sex workers. Our fathers buy from these girls and mothers from small boys (LCE: 268-279)
Again, when questioned about what they liked or disliked about the poster, considering the inequitable practice in the distribution of IEC materials in the country, learners were adamant that the posters be all-inclusive in representing all Basotho. Based on experience, they were concerned that, since the poster may be the only source of information available in some places, it should ‘talk to’ both youth and mature adults to ensure that everybody gets the information because all are likely to be infected by HIV:
F3: I think it would be right if it also includes adults R: Why? Remember this is supposed to be for youth
F3: Because they are part of the network as they like going out with young people (TIL: 543-546)
161 F4: The same applies to the students; there should at least be picture of secondary and high students in uniform because we all know that they are sexually active, that is a fact we all cannot run away from. So we should design this thing in such a way that it talks to them as well. Because it is a sure fact that they are sexually active that we cannot run way from and therefore they need to be protected as well (LCE: 2168- 2175)
F1: Yes, I think this kind of materials should be made to accommodate every Mosotho F4: …regardless of whether young or old
F6: Especially because if they are made according to age strictly, those for adults would be boring (not interesting) to us and those that are meant for us would not be comprehensible to adults and yet they would be aimed at giving people the messages F5: …and we should also consider that that same poster could be the only source of information accessible to that person for over a long period of time. So let them accommodate every person at all times, so that we could all be able to access information. People should share (NUL: 2238-2250)
Some respondents seemed to also be concerned about the inclusion of mature adults in the poster from the perspective of practices that promote intergenerational sex. They thought that mature adults should be included so that it would attract their attention, as they are the ones who sponsor ‘nice times’ because they have money:
F1: …the young at heart mothers and fathers. You can say that again, there are old people who don’t want to grow up who are engaged in far bad things even more bad than those that are done by youth. They are great drivers of infection
R: In what way? How do they drive infection, or do you mean spread infection?
F1: Yes, because… because of money they do whatever they like with women, they go out with young and old women as they please (LCE: 2179-2188)
It was, however, unanimously agreed that the poster is culturally acceptable, since it has no offensive issues that could prevent it from being circulated within the society. Nevertheless, there were some gender disparities that surfaced during the discussions. It was as if gender, as a determinant of positioning and power among the Basotho youth and young adults, also clearly impeded HIV prevention information, education and communication efforts intended towards the desired behavioural change of the poster’s consumers. The following section presents and analyses these gender dimensions and gender implications that may be detrimental to the poster’s educational endeavours.
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