Ethical Formation on the Threshold A study of the implementation of HIV University in Mpophomeni Township, South Africa Ida Elisabeth Wagle Master thesis The Faculty of Theology UNIVERSITY OF OSLO November 2009 Supervisor: Dr. Theol. Jone Salomonsen II Acknowledgements At the end of an instructive period of research, there are many people who truly deserve my gratitude. First of all I want to express my gratefulness to the women I have worked with in Mpophomeni, who have generously welcomed me to their lives, shared their stories and made my field work a memorable experience. Huge thanks also go to Nelly, Easy and Cebo, for hospitality and warm-heartedness, and for offering me a genuine home in Mpophomeni Thanks to Zenzeleni Community Centre, Shalini Eddens and WORLD, School of Theology at the University of KwaZulu Natal and Linzi Rabinowich. This thesis could not have been accomplished without these people’s help. Thanks also to the “Broken Women, Healing Traditions?” research project, and the Norwegian Ministry of Education, for making it possible for me to travel to South Africa. I am greatly indebted to my supervisor, Jone Salomonsen, for generously sharing from her wide knowledge and creative ideas – in particular the idea of “making strong”. I feel grateful for having got the opportunity to reflect upon my material in company with her and for everything I have learned throughout these dialogues. I will express my gratitude to Marie Thorstensen, my companion and friend in the field. Her good humour and joy of life always made me keep the spirit throughout the process. A big thank to Lixian for all the time she has spent proof reading my chapters. Thanks also to Vebjørn, for invaluable help in the finishing stage. Thanks to all my friends at the Religion and Society master program, for the spirit of solidarity we have shared throughout the process. A special thank to Jannike and Elise, for our friendship, which I deeply appreciate. I am extremely grateful to Erik, for his love, support and patience. I admire him for standing out with me the last couple of months. I am also indebted to him for all his help throughout the process of finishing this thesis. My appreciation further goes to my family for their warm-heartedness and continuous support. A special thank to my mum, who has always believed in me. III IV Table of contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Presentation of the project ................................................................................................. 1 1.1.1 Analytical perspective and presentation of research questions.................................. 3 1.2 WORLD ............................................................................................................................ 5 1.2.1 Central values and principles in WORLD and HIV U .............................................. 5 1.2.2 WORLD in the context of social movements ............................................................ 7 1.3 Description of the field ...................................................................................................... 9 1.3.1 Mpophomeni Township ............................................................................................. 9 1.3.2 Religious life in Mpophomeni ................................................................................. 11 1.3.3 Social relevance of HIV U in Mpophomeni ............................................................ 12 1.4 Research context .............................................................................................................. 14 1.4.1 HIV and AIDS research in the social sciences ........................................................ 14 1.4.2 HIV and AIDS research in theology ........................................................................ 15 1.4.3 The call to faith communities .................................................................................. 17 1.5 Conceptual framework .................................................................................................... 19 1.5.1 Action-research and empowerment ......................................................................... 19 1.5.2 Ethical formation through habitus ........................................................................... 19 1.5.3 Anchoring the thesis in theology and pedagogy ...................................................... 22 1.6 The configuration of the thesis ........................................................................................ 24 2 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 25 2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 25 2.2 Establishing HIV University in Mpophomeni ................................................................. 25 2.2.1 Presentation of the participants at HIV University .................................................. 27 2.3 Methods utilized in the field ............................................................................................ 28 2.3.1 Ethnography and participant observation ................................................................ 28 2.3.2 HIV University as action-research ........................................................................... 29 2.3.3 Field notes ................................................................................................................ 30 2.3.4 The qualitative interview ......................................................................................... 31 2.3.5 Outcome mapping .................................................................................................... 32 2.4 Hermeneutics ................................................................................................................... 33 2.5 Challenges and Limitations ............................................................................................. 35 2.5.1 Finding my role in the field ..................................................................................... 35 2.5.2 Language .................................................................................................................. 35 2.5.3 The time limit .......................................................................................................... 36 2.6 Research ethics ................................................................................................................ 37 2.6.1 Confidentiality ......................................................................................................... 38 3 The Circle as a Political and Pedagogical Principle ......................................................... 39 3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 39 3.2 A description of a meeting with HIV University in Mpophomeni .................................. 39 3.3 What does the circle enable? ........................................................................................... 42 3.3.1 The circle as an arena for self-protection ................................................................. 44 V VI 3.3.2 Practices within the circle ........................................................................................ 45 3.4 The Circle as an arena for ethical formation ................................................................... 49 3.4.1 Saba Mahmood’s theory on ethical formation ......................................................... 49 3.4.2 Ethical formation in HIV University ....................................................................... 51 3.5 The circle as a meeting point between habitus and dialogical pedagogy ........................ 53 3.6 Bible interpretation in the circle ...................................................................................... 54 3.6.1 Description of the section ........................................................................................ 55 3.6.2 Reflections on the contextual bible interpretation program and its relation to the pedagogy of the circle ............................................................................................................ 56 3.7 Final reflections ............................................................................................................... 58 4 Leaving the circle to promote public awareness .............................................................. 59 4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 59 4.2 The women’s community outreach ................................................................................. 59 4.2.1 Preparations and practicing ...................................................................................... 59 4.2.2 The first reach out meeting: dialogue with men ...................................................... 62 4.2.3 The second reach out meeting: presentation UKZN ................................................ 62 4.2.4 The circle as an arena to prepare and practice ......................................................... 63 4.3 Individual training as a means to societal change ........................................................... 64 4.4 Non-violent action enabled