Deconstructing the Portrayals of HIV/AIDS Among Campaign Planners Targeting Tribal Populations in Koraput, India: A Culture-Centered Interrogation

Abstract

This article deconstructs the portrayal of HIV/AIDS in the tribal dominated district of Koraput, India, among program planners, service delivery personnel, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), etc. who plan, implement, and evaluate HIV/AIDS interventions targeting tribal communities in the region. Drawing upon postcolonial and subaltern studies approaches, we critically examine the ideological assumptions that circulate in the dominant discursive spaces among campaign planners and implementers who target HIV/AIDS among the tribal population in Koraput, India. Based on our critical examination, we suggest guidelines for engaging with program planners and implementers through health communication pedagogy informed by the culture-centered approach.