Marseille 2007
| Abstract #200 - AIDS and Bhuddism - The Psychological Benefit of Bhuddism to the HIV/AIDS Prevention in Thailand | ||||
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Session: 28.3: Religion and traditional practices (Parallel) on Tuesday @ 11.00-12.30 in 5 Chaired by Veronica Noseda, Herve Richaud Authors: Presenting Author: Mr Carsten Kloepfer - University of Cologne, Germany |
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| Aim: On the background and the understanding of the psychological and psychosocial base of Thai society this research tries to isolate the relevant factors of a Buddhist orientated prevention strategy by considering the following central question: "Which factors are relevant for a Buddhism-orientated and cultural adapted conception of an prevention strategy for Thailand against the psychosocial consequences of HIV and AIDS?" The understanding of HIV/AIDS prevention in this research is based on the (Buddhist) assumption that a prevention has to deal in the first place with the psychosocial consequences. Buddhism perceives human beings as 80% mental and 20% physical which turns the view on the mental effects of HIV/AIDS and makes clear that the physical consequences (above all in the first phases of a HIV infection) are often considerably less than the psychological suffering. The theoretical part of this research presents a base understanding of the initial problems and will deal with the basics of HIV/AIDS and (the Psychology of) Buddhism, the psychosocial basics of the Thai society and the phenomena of HIV/AIDS in Thailand. The empirical part aims to prove by means of expert interviews to isolate the substantial factors which are necessary for an effective and culturally adapted prevention strategy on the base of the Buddhistic Psychology. | ||||
| Method / Issue: The Interviews were chosen with the help of the Theoretical Sampling (by Strauss&Corbin 1995), were carried out as half-structured problem-centred expert interviews (by Witzel 1985) and were analysed with the help of the Grounded Theory (by Glaser&Strauss 1967). These offer efficient methods with the help of the Open, Selective and Thematic Encoding for structuring and analysing of the transcribed interviews. The 12 interviews were developed during my one-year stay in Thailand and the interviewed experts represent a wide range of HIV/AIDS prevention work in Thailand, i.e. employees of UN Organisations, abbot of a monastery, HIV positive monk, founder of a NGO which train monks in HIV/AIDS prevention etc. | ||||
| Results / Comments: The analysis of the interviews makes clear that the old (and international recognised) strategy of the government which targeted mostly commercial sex is not any more adequate for the current risk behaviour. Through rapid modernisation processes and the increase of promiscuity and prostitution new risk groups and new risk behaviour emerged. In combination with the helplessness and inactivity of the government it forms an highly explosive mixture. | ||||
| Discussion: Looking at Buddhism (which 94% of the Thais believe in) it appears that it has a lot to contribute to a holistic HIV/AIDS prevention concept, i.e. the universal suffering aspect, the tolerance and flexibility, the positive view, the concept of compassion, the priority of the psychosocial view, the perception of human beings as themselves and not as symptom bearer, the universal spirituality as a connecting element. Also Buddhist monks in the community, their role as spiritual leaders, their function as teachers and models and their extensive (Buddhist) knowledge makes an effective and holistic fight against HIV/AIDS in information, prevention, counselling, economic and ideological support, integration of infected people etc. possible. Those strengths of Buddhism are currently undervalued and not used enough. | ||||
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