Browsing by Author "Westerberg, Kiersten"

Social representations are formed when a particular object or phenomenon is considered problematic by a particular group. In trying to make sense of the object or phenomenon, the group forms socially shared concepts allowing it to become part of the group’s social world. Because of these features, Social Representations Theory has been used extensively in the area of health and illness, particularly in the area of HIV/AIDS and the stigma that surrounds the disease and those affected. However, few researchers have looked to the narrative to examine the social nature of social representations and have focused mainly on other methods to explore their internal structure. This article explores history of HIV/AIDS and the early social representations of disease. Narrative analysis is used to determine how the early social representations, particularly the process of objectification, has affected the identities of those recently diagnosed with HIV. It concludes that the narrative is a useful tool at examining how the early social representations of a disease can have long-lasting effects on the identities of those newly diagnosed.