The African Religious Landscape : an examination of Shona traditional beliefs and practices in light of HIV and AIDS, and its ramifications for mitigation and care

dc.contributor.advisorGroenewald, Alphonso, 1969-
dc.contributor.coadvisorPieterse, Hendrik J.C. (Hennie)
dc.contributor.emailjoelgift@gmail.comen_ZA
dc.contributor.postgraduateMarashe, Joel
dc.date.accessioned2018-04-03T07:05:23Z
dc.date.available2018-04-03T07:05:23Z
dc.date.created2018-04-12
dc.date.issued2017-04-12
dc.descriptionThesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis study examined traditional Shona beliefs and practices in light of HIV/AIDS in the rural communities of the Chipinge District in Zimbabwe. The focus of the study was to examine selected Shona traditional beliefs and practices, and evaluate how they respond to the HIV/AIDS threat. The study aimed to examine the traditional beliefs and practices that people in Chipinge rural communities still practise, have stopped practising, or have modified due to the encroachment of HIV/AIDS into the communities’ socio-moral space. It also aims to discuss the traditional beliefs and practices that are safe and those that expose people to HIV infection, in addition to the communities’ knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Grounded in the traditional Shona religious landscape, and from a phenomenological perspective, the study utilised a qualitative survey research design. Using purposive and snowball sampling procedures, 72 study participants, knowledgeable in the Shona people’s traditional beliefs and practices, were selected. The study used non-scheduled structured interviews and a questionnaire, with both closed and open-ended questions, to gather data from the participants. Most participants defined HIV/AIDS as a blend of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that take time to treat. They believed that AIDS results from ‘pollution’ caused by sexual intercourse with ‘unclean’ women, while a few attributed it to having unprotected sex with an infected partner. Results show that kuputsa (pledged or child marriage), barika (polygamy), and kugara nhaka (wife inheritance) are harmful marriage practices that expose people to HIV infection. As old habits die hard, the study suggests modifications to such marriage practices, where people willing to be involved should take an HIV antibody test. Given that information about HIV/AIDS is communicated through posters and pamphlets written in English, it would benefit the community, if the Ministry of Health and Child Care could provide information in the Ndau language.en_ZA
dc.description.availabilityUnrestricteden_ZA
dc.description.degreePhDen_ZA
dc.description.departmentOld Testament Studiesen_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipUniversity of Pretoria Postgraduate Bursaryen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMarashe, J 2017, The African Religious Landscape : an examination of Shona traditional beliefs and practices in light of HIV and AIDS, and its ramifications for mitigation and care, PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/64367>en_ZA
dc.identifier.otherA2018
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/64367
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherUniversity of Pretoria
dc.rights© 2018 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
dc.subjectReligionen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.subjectHIV & AIDS
dc.subjectShona traditional beliefs
dc.subjectAfrican religious landscape
dc.subjectHIV/AIDS in rural communities
dc.subjectShona spirituality
dc.subjectTraditional medicine
dc.subjectHIV stigma
dc.subjectZimbabwe
dc.subjectMinistry of health and child care
dc.subjectCommunity-based care for HIV/AIDS
dc.subject.otherTheology theses SDG-04
dc.subject.otherSDG-04: Quality education
dc.subject.otherTheology theses SDG-05
dc.subject.otherSDG-05: Gender equality
dc.subject.otherTheology theses SDG-10
dc.subject.otherSDG-10: Reduced inequalities
dc.subject.otherTheology theses SDG-16
dc.subject.otherSDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
dc.titleThe African Religious Landscape : an examination of Shona traditional beliefs and practices in light of HIV and AIDS, and its ramifications for mitigation and careen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA

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