85 08 / 05 / 2013 Mixed Support Group MCSP Reduction and
sexual partner infection
24 Females 1 Nurse 1 Counsellor 28 / 05 / 2013 Mixed Support Group Cleanliness and
living exemplary life 27 Females 1 Nurse 1 Counsellor
86 4.9.1 Discourse
Discourse is defined by Fairclough (2005) as language based on meaning making. As mentioned in Chapter Three, Fairclough (2005) views discourse as language and associated behaviour patterns that connect social processes and assists human beings in relation to meaning making.
This indicates that understanding types of language is crucial in the interpretation of narrated stories and in helping the listener form vivid pictures during the description of incidences.
Fairclough further indicates that discourse is also a means of creating a conducive basis for interaction and for those interacting to mutually conceptualise beliefs, values and desires. This indicates the significance of face-to-face conversations which the researcher observed during data collection. The researcher was able to hear about medical discourses which bothered support group members. Through the lens of discourse analyses the researcher was able to see members’
worried faces change when they had been unable to make meaning and conceptualise such complicated medical discourses. At this juncture the researcher was able to identify the impact of language on discussions such as this. Language influenced different moods, based on the narrated stories and the capabilities of the narrator to describe incidences and occasions in a manner that made sense to other support group members. While describing situations they once encountered, support group members used metaphors and proverbs to help frame clear pictures and enhance understanding of their fellow listeners. Discourse analysis seemed to be of great significance in this study because it showed how the support groups used their own language and frames of reference to unpack some words like‘re-infection’ and ‘adherence’ as medical discourses. They needed to understand such words because health service providers referred to these medical discourses repeatedly. Support groups made sure that each medical discourse was understood because they wanted to adhere to their antiretrivirals (ARVs) to suppress viral load and because the meaning making that was drawn from discussing these medical discourses would enhance prevention, care and management.
4.9.2 Narrative research analysis
The data was presented in narrative form since this was the best way of portraying the atmosphere of the meetings and of the discourses (language and behaviours) used by all participants. Narrative research analysis, according to Trahar (2006), refers to the
87 methodological use of story and usually is concerned with storytelling from individuals with the purpose of persuading listeners to understand their context often with a view to motivating listeners to change. Narrative research analysis is concerned with interpreting general memories which are narrated as previously encountered experiences. Narratives are classified as personal stories based on a thorough personal knowledge of the subject of interest. Narrative research analysis relies on interpretations of histories and personal perceptions of the past shared across the individuals. This on its own allows the listener to conceptualise the context which the narrator refers to.
Narrative research aims at exposing individual experiences but also with a view to making meaning out of the narrative. Individual cultural backgrounds play a major role in the meaning making. Some cultures rely heavily on narratives to impart cultural values and societal expectations. This is supported by Trahar (2006) who refers to communities that preserve their histories, practices and developments through stories which are narrated through friendship networks and intergenerational interactions. Such stories are often used to express their deeply felt joy or pain.
In this study it will be shown that members in the three support groups narrated their stories with the intention of influencing change among the listening members. The stories were internalised and narrated with a view to creating awareness among members to appreciate life and learn from each other’s experiences that HIV/AIDS is a manageable condition. This study therefore observes the significance of narrative research analysis because the support groups were telling their lived experiences to instill change in attitudes and behaviour among members who thought living with HIV was an end to their lives. In most cases, support group members narrated their critical histories and appreciated their learning networks because they believed that most ideas on how to manage HIV/AIDS emanated from such stories. However, the narratives which occurred in the three support groups depended on particular forms of language (in terms of vocabulary and metaphors for example) used by the story tellers. The language used was intended to encourage the listeners to paint images in their mind regarding the topic or concept under discussion. In order to fully capture the essence of this process, descriptive analysis in this study is a central feature of discourse analysis of the narratives.
88 4.9.3 Descriptive analysis
Descriptive analysis is undertaken so that the reader can understand the imaginary pictures that the participants presented in order to understand the scenario being depicted. Descriptive analysis allows the researcher to give the richness, depth and breadth of the phenomenon through verbatim use of language that was used by the participants to influence each other and motivate them to understand medical concepts, or to arouse curiosity as well as to instill fear in the individual to stop habitual risky behaviour. For instance, in this study context, one woman from the mothers-in-law support group described how stubborn her son was towards engaging in protected sex and that she was reluctant to talk to him. She instead intended to invite one man from the fathers-to-fathers support group to assist. Everyone in the mothers--law support group who listened to this description became curious to know the age of her son, and the number of children he had already lost due to HIV infection because he would not use a condom and claimed that only his wife was infected yet he did not know his own HIV status.
Silverman (2004) indicates that descriptive analysis draws on stories that are shared in many ways and which have different functions in different cultures and communities. Silverman further indicates that researchers employing descriptive analysis may be led to reflect on their own learning and educational identities. This type of analysis was made famous through programmes which were intended to represent the stories of minorities who were seen as different or those whose voices might otherwise go unheard or unnoticed. It is the researcher’s contention that the stories of these support groups, whose disease has marginalised them in many ways, should be heard and noticed.
Narrative, descriptive and discourse analyses are significant for this study because the research questions were answered in a narrative form and language use was an important aspect of the findings. Therefore, discourse analysis played a major role in interpreting how the narrated stories became useful to each support group member, influencing them to change their behaviours especially those behaviours that put others at risk of being infected by HIV. An example is that of the youth who rely on disinfectants such as Dettol which they think can be used for bathing after practicing unprotected sex to prevent HIV transmission. As this was
89 narrated and described, group participants could understand that youth practicing this behaviour were at risk of being infected. This led to support groups organising a youth rally to address the myths that put youth at risk of being HIV infected.
4.9.4 Thematic analysis
Thematic analysis was organised in phases after the translation and transcribing of data. The elaboration and interpretation of data was done through the thematic grouping of similar information because I, as the researcher, wanted explanations to reflect the true sense of the stories narrated in support groups without losing any meaningful data. This study therefore thematically organised and analysed information from the learning and sharing proceedings which were held to keep support group members abreast with ongoing HIV information. In order to find themes that best reflected participants’ stories, inductive analysis had to be employed through reading and re-reading data to extract significant themes. Silverman (2004) indicates that written data has to be kept for reading and internalising in order to formulate themes from such material. This information from narratives bears the same value and weight as data collected from an interview or questionnaire. Finally, deductive analysis had to be employed to compare the findings and initial themes with the theories of communities of practice, social capital and transformative learning.
The following table summarises the themes and sub themes that emerged from the data in relation to theoretical concepts and also key topics that were discussed in the groups.
Table 2: Indications of emerging thematic analysis and sub themes.
Themes Sub themes
Communities of practice - a) Collective decision making - b)Hunters seeking information - d) Collective learning - e) Sharing and Learning
- f) Using external networks for information
- g) Sense of belonging - h) Identity building
- i) crossing multiple boundaries
- j) Developing over time as communities of practice
90 Social capital networks - a) portraying a bonding feature
- b) portraying a bridging feature - c) portraying a linking feature - d) overlaps
- e) networking - f) interactions
Educational input - Behavioural change and social
relations Discussions and independent information
seeking exercises - a) Hunting for information
- b) New meanings - c) Gender issues
- d) Men as heads of families Myths and community beliefs discussed -
Transformative learning: New meaning making - Prevention
Impact on new learning - Condom use
Resistance - Behaviour change