TALKABILITY, SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR AND AIDS - INTERVIEWING MALE MOROCCAN IMMIGRANTS

Based on ethnographic data on 46 male Moroccan immigrants, this articl e focuses on various methodological complications of making verbally e xplicit sexual relationships and risk reduction behaviors. To elucidat e how sexuality and AIDS were made into subjects suitable for discussi on in this population, the concept of ''talkability'' is introduced. T he author examines a variety of relational and discursive strategies u sed in interviewing Moroccan men about such topics which they normally consider ''shameful.'' Based on the interviews, three specific types of sexual discourse, indicating three ''ways of sexual disclosure'' ar e distinguished: 1) ''shameful,'' 2) ''humanistic,'' and 3) ''masculin e oriented.'' The last type of discourse, in particular, leaves ample room for interviewing in great deatail about sexuality and AIDS.