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https://www.arca.fiocruz.br/handle/icict/9121
CONCEPTUAL AND PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO HIV/AIDS: THE BRAZILIAN EXPERIENCE
Sousa, Isabela Cabral Félix de | Date Issued:
2000
Affilliation
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Politécnica de Saúde Joaquim Venâncio. Laboratório de Iniciação Científica na Educação Básica. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Abstract
Within the field of social psychology, modern cognitive theory argues that people use conceptual frameworks to classify their experiences (McDavid and Harari, 1974/1980). Yet these frameworks are limited: their translation into social practices is imperfect and can lead to negative outcomes. In this paper I show how conceptual frameworks have limited the understanding of the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Brazil, and thus failed to address properly its related problems. Health education, to be an efficient response, must be part of broad health promotion programs that target all conditions that lead to the infection and the disease. Historically, encouraging individual behavioral change has been used to address health problems. Unless a health promotion approach addressing social problems alongside individual problems is employed, there is little hope to change the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is important to note, however, that although the role of health education as a concept is by definition restricted, pointing only to individual behavioral changes, this does not mean that schools play a limited role. For instance, the concept of "health promoting schools" has envisioned them as ideal sites to target the health problems related to the individual child and to social aspects that lead to the disease. Finally, I provide recommendations for educators, primarily based upon building more symbolic resources intended to amplify peoples' visions and actions.
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