"Gangsterism," HIV, and "tik:" An exploration of Cape Town youth

Since early 2000, the Western Cape of South Africa has been documented as an area for monitoring the spread of HIV. The majority of HIV cases occur within individuals between the ages of 15-49 years, and the epidemic is believed to be complicated by the increased use of crystal methamphetamine (CM), or “tik.” Eighty percent of current CM users in Cape Town are under the age of 21 years, and almost 18% of current HIV cases are in individuals under the age of 24 years. Gang membership in youth may also be complicating the HIV problem as gangs feed the social acceptability of “tik” and encourage sexual violence. With almost half the population of Cape Town in their mid-twenties, the threat of a new HIV epidemic complicated by CM use has become a concern in the young adults of the city. Research into the relationships between gang membership and drugs/violence has been extensively studied in the Cape Flats. Yet, few have examined the role of gangs in the perpetuation of HIV. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was exploratory in nature. Key informant interviews from Cape Town youth were used as case illustrations to generate potential hypotheses on the interrelationships between “gangsterism,” “tik” use, and HIV. Such awareness is important if effective efforts to reduce HIV incidence in Cape Town (and Sub-Saharan Africa) are to transpire. If the problem of CM is not addressed quickly, the Cape Flats may find itself with a higher rate of an already uncontrollable HIV epidemic. ^

Q method factor analysis of stakeholder social perspectives of the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment public participation in the Western Cape, South Africa

Public participation is an integral part of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and as such, has been incorporated into regulatory norms. Assessment of the effectiveness of public participation has remained elusive however. This is partly due to the difficulty in identifying appropriate effectiveness criteria. This research uses Q methodology to discover and analyze stakeholder's social perspectives of the effectiveness of EIAs in the Western Cape, South Africa. It considers two case studies (Main Road and Saldanha Bay EIAs) for contextual participant perspectives of the effectiveness based on their experience. It further considers the more general opinion of provincial consent regulator staff at the Department of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Planning (DEA&DP). Two main themes of investigation are drawn from the South African National Environmental Management Act imperative for effectiveness: firstly, the participation procedure, and secondly, the stakeholder capabilities necessary for effective participation. Four theoretical frameworks drawn from planning, politics and EIA theory are adapted to public participation and used to triangulate the analysis and discussion of the revealed social perspectives. They consider citizen power in deliberation, Habermas' preconditions for the Ideal Speech Situation (ISS), a Foucauldian perspective of knowledge, power and politics, and a Capabilities Approach to public participation effectiveness. The empirical evidence from this research shows that the capacity and contextual constraints faced by participants demand the legislative imperatives for effective participation set out in the NEMA. The implementation of effective public participation has been shown to be a complex, dynamic and sometimes nebulous practice. The functional level of participant understanding of the process was found to be significantly wide-ranging with consequences of unequal and dissatisfied stakeholder engagements. Furthermore, the considerable variance of stakeholder capabilities in the South African social context, resulted in inequalities in deliberation. The social perspectives revealed significant differences in participant experience in terms of citizen power in deliberation. The ISS preconditions are highly contested in both the Saldanha EIA case study and the DEA&DP social perspectives. Only one Main Road EIA case study social perspective considered Foucault's notion of governmentality as a reality in EIA public participation. The freedom of control of ones environment, based on a Capabilities approach, is a highly contested notion. Although agreed with in principle, all of the social perspectives indicate that contextual and capacity realities constrain its realisation. This research has shown that Q method can be applied to EIA public participation in South Africa and, with the appropriate research or monitoring applications it could serve as a useful feedback tool to inform best practice public participation.

A Qualitative Study of Contextual Factors’ Impact on the Adaptation of a Caregiver-mediated Early Autism Intervention in South Africa

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a major global health challenge as the majority of individuals with ASD live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and receive little to no services or support from health or social care systems. Despite this global crisis, the development and validation of ASD interventions has almost exclusively occurred in high-income countries, leaving many unanswered questions regarding what contextual factors would need to be considered to ensure the effectiveness of interventions in LMICs. This study sought to conduct explorative research on the contextual adaptation of a caregiver-mediated early ASD intervention for use in a low-resource setting in South Africa.

Methods: Participants included 22 caregivers of children with autism, including mothers (n=16), fathers (n=4), and grandmothers (n=2). Four focus groups discussions were conducted in Cape Town, South Africa with caregivers and lasted between 1.5-3.5 hours in length. Data was recorded, translated, and transcribed by research personnel. Data was then coded for emerging themes and analyzed using the NVivo qualitative data analysis software package.

Results: Nine contextual factors were reported to be important for the adaptation process including culture, language, location of treatment, cost of treatment, type of service provider, familial needs, length of treatment, support, and parenting practices. One contextual factor, evidence-based treatment, was reported to be both important and not important for adaptation by caregivers. The contextual factor of stigma was identified as an emerging theme and a specifically relevant challenge when developing an ASD intervention for use in a South African context.

Conclusions: Eleven contextual factors were discussed in detail by caregivers and examples were given regarding the challenges, sources, and preferences related to the contextual adaptation of a parent-mediated early ASD intervention in South Africa. Caregivers reported a preference for an affordable, in-home, individualized early ASD intervention, where they have an active voice in shaping treatment goals. Distrust of community-based nurses and health workers to deliver an early ASD intervention and challenges associated with ASD-based stigma were two unanticipated findings from this data set. Implications for practice and further research are discussed.

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.16:pt.1-3 (1917-1933)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.3:pt.1-9 (1903-1905)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.6:pt.1-4 (1908-1911)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.12:pt.1-8 (1913-1924)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.1:pt.1-3 (1898-1899)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.17:pt.1-6 (1917-1920)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.11:pt.1-6 (1911-1917)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.18:pt.1-4 (1921)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.13:pt.1-8 (1913-1923)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.7:pt.1-6 (1908-1913)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.15:pt.1-6 (1914-1916)

Annals of the South African Museum. Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum.

v.10:pt.1-12 (1911-1914)