ASSUMPTIONS IN PEOPLES TALK ABOUT AIDS

Government AIDS education campaigns are based on a number of tacit assumptions. They presuppose that an increase in knowledge of HIV transmission routes will produce behaviour change in and of itself. In addition, the major slogans used in nationwide media campaigns make three further assumptions: 1. there are objective facts that are undisputably true, 2. such facts can be assessed via scientific inquiry, and 3. individual freedom of behavioural choice. Research reported in this paper aims to assess to what extent a consensus with regard to these assumptions can be expected among 'the general public'. The material presented in this paper is based on a series of depth interviews with 12 representative individuals. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts via the identification of fundamental assumptions about the world in respondents' discourse revealed a concern with emotional and psychological factors which is not matched by national AIDS slogans.