Perceptions of HIV + Patients towards the Faith-Based Community (Dissertation Sample)

Perceptions of HIV+ Patients towards the Faith-Based Community
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University Affiliation
Prospectus: A Phenomenological Study About the Perceptions of HIV+ Patients towards the Faith-Based Community
Abstract
There is a need for research on the perceptions of African American HIV-positive persons have towards their religious organizations is important. The study is important because few inquiries have been endeavored to comprehend the attitudinal, religious, and cultural indicators influencing the susceptibility of HIV patients. The study seeks to address the questions of the effects of faith-based community support to stigma factors in infected individuals. The theoretical basis of this study will be the social learning theories and social influence to describe behavior change while considering factors linked to people’s perceptions and experience of their environments. The qualitative study will be grounded in the phenomenology research design, which entails studying reality as it reveals to individuals. The research design is effective for the study because it involves the documentation of real experiences of humans as opposed to virtual knowledge. The study will also gather data from participants using interviews and observation to respond to the research questions. The study participants will be HIV infected and have been exposed to the FBO and its influence on their perceptions. The study similarly to other qualitative studies finds that religious attributions surround the HIV stigma and that the religious leaders have an impact to the stigma linked with HIV. The study will assist to mitigate effects of stigma.
Introduction
The HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) which causes AIDS has turned into an international health concern that needs an urgent response. According to UNAIDS (2005), whereas almost 95% of the infected live in low and middle economy States, there has been a rise in the HIV cases among the minority and poor U.S. populations. The ethnic minorities in America are disproportionately affected by the condition, especially among African Americans. Scholars have paid attention to the function of Faith-Based Organizations (FBO), which represents spirituality and religion in relation those affected with severe diseases. More researchers have assessed the connection between religion and the decreased danger of sicknesses comprising cancer and hypertension, statistically linking FBO morals and beliefs with protectiveelements against these illnesses, thereby significantly improving the mean survival time (Aldridge, 2000). Despite the increased incidences of African Americans having HIV, few studies have been carried out to comprehend the perceptions, attitudinal, and cultural symptoms influencing their vulnerability. With this consideration, the current study examines the perceptions of African Americans HIV patients towards Faith-Based Organizations in rural Minnesota. The study is significant because it can assist in coming up with measures to mitigate HIV-related stigma in the community.
Background
Studies demonstrate that HIV-linked stigma perpetuates the illness, impeding the response in numerous communities. The fear of facing stigma also hampers efforts to motivate testing, disclosure, and seeking treatment. The FBO plays a critical function in the culture of African-Americans by influencing their lives who consider religion as a significant element of their daily lives. Qualitative inquiries have reported faith-based attributions surrounding stigmatization against HIV and the influence of religious leaders to HIV-related stigma (Green, 2003; Muturi, 2011). HIV patients feel condemned by the FBO based on the view of the condition as an outcome of wicked and immoral acts, and AIDS is seen as an outcome of such conduct. Words used in describing those infected such as “impure” and “unclean” makes such persons feel stigmatized. FBO and religious values make some individuals infer that being HIV positive is a product of depravity involving deviant sex and promiscuity and deserve punishment. Religious teachings of the Bible have legitimately supported these perceptions, for example, Romans 6:23 ("Wages of sinning is death." Likewise, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in which people committed sexual sins represent the punishment of hell, which is eternal burning.
Despite the reported FBOs role in promoting the social, psychological, and physical welfare of ethnic groups, studies on their influences in reducing HIV-associated stigma particularly in the minorities groups is little. In other areas having high HIV prevalence, the role of FBOs to stigma to the infected has been documented. These allegations have made FBOs places of discriminating the people who face the consequences of their sin and depravity as opposed to places of solace and refuge. Therefore, the study is needed to assist the infected people to get the support they need and eliminate the feelings of isolation and stigma among the group.
Problem Statement
Conducting research on the perceptions of African American HIV-positive persons have towards their religious organizations is necessary. There have been a substantial number of correlational researches focused on comprehending how FBOs influence individuals and communities impacted by HIV. Arguments and empirical studies published in sociology, psychology, medicine, public health, law, and medical fields suggest that numerous scholars in different areas now consider the religious bodies as a legitimate section of the research agenda. Apparently, FBOs play a critical objective in social service and health delivery to the affected communities. Nonetheless, there is scant research on their contribution to HIV prevention and care particularly owing to their lack of effective strategies to minimize stigma the HIV-positive patients face. More critically, despite the increased incidences of HIV among the African Americans, few inquiries have been endeavored to comprehend the attitudinal, religious, and cultural indicators influencing their susceptibility. According toMuturi (2011), there has been an increasing anxiety over numerous intervention programs, which ignore a cultural setting, which is particular to their pertinent population. Another gap exists between operational health promotion studies and the activities in many African American groups. Derose et al. (2012) specified that studies in the future should comprehend the ranges of responses by FBOs to join the combat against HIV.
Study Purpose
The objective of the inquiry is to fill the identified gap in studies and thus expedite the comprehension of the perceptions of HIV positive individuals on the nature of the support accorded by FBOs. The study will focus on the African American populations with a view of focusing on the different interventions by Faith-based support programs advanced in their communities. The study will assess the target group’s perceptions and experiences and how on interventions would be improved to improve their quality of life. Significantly, the study will contribute to an understanding of how religious-based and cultural precursors influence the patient’s vulnerability.
Research Question(s)
What the effects of faith-based community support to stigma factors in infected individuals
What are the roles of FBOs and other belief systems in the daily lives of HIV positive patients?
How do perceptions of HIV positive patients towards FBOs support influence their decision to reveal HIV status?
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
The theoretical basis of this study will be the social (cognitive) learning theories and social influence to describe behavior transformation or its lack thereof while considering factors linked to people's perceptions and experience of their environments and their personal characteristics. Bandura’s learning theory (1986) also looks at particular behaviors and elements, which lead to particular behavior creation and alteration, or its absence. The theory considers the interpersonal level conduct with the objective of not just creating better comprehension but also address issues linked to peoples’ perceptions and experience of their environments alongside their individual attributes. Various scholars have used the social learning theory in grounding their arguments. By observing the models, people come up with conclusions related to their perception of FBOs on their support to the infected patients. According to Bandura, imitating others and identifying with them explains the way people learn certain practices and behaviors of role models. In many communities, particularly in the developed world, community and social are critical in transmitting beliefs, social, and value norms. Spiritual leaders are considered as role models in their areas. They can provide negative or positive reinforcement, make rules, facilitate behavior, and serve as ‘role models’ (Beatty, 2013).
The social learning theory relates to the phenomenological approach and the research questions of this study. The approach is a philosophical method for studying human experiences; it is particular and is influenced by the settings in which individuals live. The investigator pays attention to how an individual is affected by their physical setting (Davidsen, 2012). The approach is effective as it allows the investigator to find out the HIV-positive patients’ perceptions and experiences towards FBO based support in the community. The approach will assist the researcher to comprehend better, how their association with the FBOs influences the perceptions of the HIV-infected individuals.
Nature of the Study
Research tradition. The qualitative study will be grounded in the phenomenology research design that encompasses studying reality as it reveals to individuals (Ga...