Activity Theory and reconceptualising HIV / AIDS interventions

In its articulation of the relationship between social and individual levels of analysis, and in providing the tools for an analysis of social practice, CHAT allows for a reconceptualisation of the problem of behaviour change in a context of HIV and AIDS. In so doing, it provides the conceptual framework through which to develop possible interventions. As presented in an earlier paper at this conference, an activity system analysis highlights the relative state of ‘crisis’ in the activity systems of male and female youth in the research context. The possibility of intervening to change conceptual resources (such as a conceptualization of HIV and AIDS), material resources (such as the availability of condoms), norms/regulations and conventions, as well as the dominant reference groups of the ‘subjects’ of the activity systems, is discussed. The notion of limited interventions in particular components of the activity system is problematised. A social mobilisation intervention in a rural village in South Africa is discussed. A need to build relatively stable, repeatable and sustainable clusters of actions (practices) as cogent forces towards changing dynamics in a particular community, is highlighted. Please note that this paper is based on material from my doctoral thesis. It is to be read as work in process, with many of the ideas in development rather than finalized. I welcome feedback to develop any of the points I make here. Please do not quote without permission.