Aw. Browne et Hr. Barrett, Moral boundaries: The geography of health education in the context of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa, GEOGRAPHY, 86, 2001, pp. 23-36
Recent discussion about 'moral geographies' has raised the question of how
states define and represent norms of sexual morality. The AIDS pandemic in
sub-Saharan Africa has forced states to redraw the boundaries of what is co
nsidered acceptable for public consumption concerning sexual behaviour: The
aim of this article is to show that the 'moral boundaries' of educational
and publicity materials produced to raise public awareness about HIV/AIDS a
re determined by negotiation between the state, its institutions and the ci
tizenry. Two types of information transmission are discussed: the public me
dia, in particular posters: aid educational materials in schools. These are
illustrated by case study material from Malawi and Zambia, two countries i
n the AIDS-Belt, but with contrasting attitudes towards these moral boundar
ies. It is shown that in both countries poster campaigns are normally impli
cit rather than explicit and adopt metaphors that do not offend public tast
e. Incorporating AIDS education into school curricula is a particularly con
tentions 'boundary' question because it induces anxiety about children's se
xuality. The evidence presented shows that HIV/AIDS is causing the moral bo
undaries of the state to be reconstructed within an on-going struggle betwe
en moralistic and pragmatic forces.