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| Qiao Congrui PhD Researcher Receptor Approach |
I.
Introduction.
Although there are numerous
studies on different dimensions in which anti-stigma campaigns are designed,
i.e. intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community and governmental
levels, an important dimension has been somehow rarely visited-public
discourse. The Chinese leadership is observably able to intervene effectively
in the public sphere due to a stronger confidence that their people show in the
government as well as a state-guided media system, thus rhetoric and measures
on HIV/AIDS adopted by the Chinese leadership affects the societal environment
where combats against the stigma associated to HIV/AIDS are carried out.
This paper offers an
overview of a changing discourse on HIV/AIDS in China, based on analysis of
documents applicable nationwide and reporting of a newspaper with the largest
circulation called the People’s Daily. When examining the above-mentioned
texts, the paper provides significant changes during the development of the
HIV/AIDS discourse, and ends with proposals for taking the public HIV/AIDS
discourse into consideration when anti-stigma campaigns oriented at various
levels are launched. The paper further suggests that the cotemporary HIV/AIDS
discourse should involve sexuality concept in order to develop a less
pressuring culture that can benefit more affected individuals.
In the discourse where
HIV/AIDS is de-moralized, a friendly environment should work in such a
direction that encourages the public, including institutions, communities and
society at large, to protect rights of the people living with HIV/AIDS.
1.
Hypothesis of this research
Study of government trust in
China has indicated that a vertical dimension emerges when the object of trust
is a multilevel, as Chinese people have varying confidence in local, regional
and national governments.
Citizens of electoral
democracies, e.g., the United States, Japan and Taiwan, tend to have weaker
confidence in the federal/national government than in the local government. On the
contrary, trust in central-level political institutions is more prevalent in
authoritarian countries. In China, for instance, 30 to 60 percent of the
population were observed to have stronger trust in the central government than
in local government (Asian Barometer Surveys, 2002, 2008: Q008, Q014;).
Besides, though it is
observed that the Chinese media are developing toward a non-politicalized
direction, major media entities, in particular traditional ones, are still
frequently intervened by the Communist Party of China (the CPC).
There are evidences that
issues related to public interest are usually reported in a way in favor of the
government decisions (e.g. HE, Qinglian, Frost over the Chinese media, 2006
edition.)
The hypothesis thus believes that legal instruments made by the central
government of China and corresponding media reporting have a strong effect on
public discourses including HIV/AIDS.
2.
Research methods
This paper is aimed to
clarify the interaction between Chinese governmental role and the changing
HIV/AIDS discourse in China. Based on the hypothesis interpreted above, the research
will:
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first examine legal documents
made by the central government and media reporting that are direct relevant to
the HIV/AIDS issue,
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then analyze significant changes
during the development of the HIV/AIDS discourse,
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and finally try to elucidate
factors that may work to protect people living with HIV/AIDS in China.
