AIDS. Social Representations. Social Practices

Since the identification of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), most research efforts and publications have focused on the medical aspects of AIDS. Unfortunately, much of the earlier work on the social effect of HIV infection has been overshadowed by sophisticated technology. This book, a collection of papers from the November 1988 United Kingdom Conference on the Social Aspects of AIDS, is written from a sociological perspective with attention to the early history of the epidemic, critique of mainstream American and British thought concerning the disease, and educational efforts directed at intravenous drug users and racial minorities. The book is organized into 16 chapters, most drawn from papers presented at the conference. The first five chapters outline the history of the epidemic and explore how attitudes toward the first AIDS patients have shaped response to the disease and development of a research paradigm. Especially interesting is the observation that, although HIV is a blood-borne virus similar to hepatitis B, popular perceptions of AIDS have been markedly affected by its designation as a venereal disease. Although hepatitis B can also be transmitted sexually, it has not borne the stigma of diseases such as syphilis. The terms "AIDS carrier," "innocent victim," and "risk group" are the semantic reflections of distorted societal views of responsibility for HIV infection and transmission. Further chapters discuss research in the homosexual community and with intravenous drug users and examine individual's interactional styles with health care professionals and patterns of high-risk behaviors. The authors evaluate the effectiveness of multiple educational efforts and syringe exchange schemes in eliciting behavioral change and preventing disease transmission through examination of the individual's sense of risk and outcome control. The final two chapters are a critique of the AIDS literature published in the popular press since 1987 by medical professionals, the "instant experts," who largely ignore the results of early educational efforts in the homosexual community. Both authors contend that this literature is a reflection of the widespread feeling that a change in morals, not behavior, is an essential and desirable response to the disease. Ironically, both the limitations and strengths of this book stem from its format as a collection of papers from one conference. Although the papers are well chosen, there are many authors with diverse styles. The chapters vary from concise studies to complex discussions of sociological theory without text to aid in the transition between topics. Some chapters, especially the …