Abstract

GUMEDE, Mkhonzeni L.; DYLL, Lauren  and  LUBOMBO, Musara. P(owe)r in Communicative Practice? HIV Prevention Communication and the Woza Asibonisane Community Responses Project (WACRP), South Africa. Media & Jornalismo [online]. 2023, vol.23, n.42, pp.91-106.  Epub June 30, 2023. ISSN 1645-5681.  https://doi.org/10.14195/2183-5462_42_5.

The central organising logic of communicative practices in social change is the recognition of the moderating influence of power in attaining project outcomes. HIV prevention projects involving external stakeholders and local communities can be affected by power imbalances.

This paper presents a reflexive analysis of an HIV-prevention communication intervention, the WACRP, implemented in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data was collected during fieldwork with WACRP stakeholders. The study examined power dynamics in community projects affected by external stakeholder expectations. Findings show that external funders often hinder community leadership and ownership, while local power hierarchies and customary beliefs also contribute to power imbalances.

The paper concludes that power imbalances in the WACRP project mask the superficial effectiveness of institutionalised communication programs. Sustainable social change requires acknowledging, planning, and accounting for power dynamics in the conceptualisation, implementation, and evaluation of projects in ways that are authentic to local cultures and practices.

Keywords : community-led projects; HIV prevention communication; power; external funding.

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