Grounding 'Responsibilisation Talk': Masculinities, Citizenship and HIV in Cape Town, South Africa

• Published in: The Journal of development studies Vol. 46; no. 7; pp. 1179 - 1195
• Main Authors: Colvin, Christopher J., Robins, Steven, Leavens, Joan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 01-08-2010; Taylor and Francis Journals; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Series: The Journal of Development Studies
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; AIDS; Citizen Participation; Citizens; Citizenship; Civil Rights - economics; Civil Rights - education; Civil Rights - history; Civil Rights - legislation & jurisprudence; Civil Rights - psychology; Community organizations; Cultural Characteristics; Development sciences; Development studies; Ethnography; History of medicine; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Interdisciplinary research; Intervention; Liberalism; Males; Masculinity; Masculinity - history; Men's Health - ethnology; Men's Health - history; Population Groups - education; Population Groups - ethnology; Population Groups - history; Population Groups - legislation & jurisprudence; Population Groups - psychology; Poverty; Public Health - economics; Public Health - education; Public Health - history; Public Health - legislation & jurisprudence; Public Policy - economics; Public Policy - history; Public Policy - legislation & jurisprudence; Self Help Groups; Social Conditions - economics; Social Conditions - history; Social Conditions - legislation & jurisprudence; Social Problems - economics; Social Problems - ethnology; Social Problems - history; Social Problems - legislation & jurisprudence; Social Problems - psychology; Social support; South Africa; South Africa - ethnology; State Intervention; Women's Health - ethnology; Women's Health - history; South Africa; Cape Town South Africa
• ISSN: 0022-0388; 1743-9140
• DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2010.487093

This paper investigates how the South African state has understood the relationship between HIV and poverty and how individuals and community-based organisations have responded to these state interventions. It considers the ways in which liberal forms of government frame people living with AIDS as a particular category of 'deserving' and 'entrepreneurial' citizens, and then re-frames them through a package of health and welfare interventions. Based on ethnographic research with the members of Khululeka, a support group for HIV-positive men, the study pays particular attention to how masculinity has shaped the ways these men have experienced and transformed these state interventions.