Making life stories visible: an ethnographic study of body mapping in the context of HIV and AIDS in South Africa

Abstract

This paper analyses the lived experiences of people living with HIV in South Africa through the use of body mapping as a visual research method, by focusing on the physical and symbolic use of the body within the broader context of anthropology and medical anthropology. The study consists of an empirical analysis of the body maps themselves and the accompanied narratives of seven participants, six female and one male participant living with HIV in South Africa. Drawing upon theories and literature on theorising the body in medical anthropology and visual research, this study explores the significance of this practice as a visual research method in understanding the nuanced lived experiences of people living with HIV by highlighting the individuality of the body and emotions; embodied experiences: a bio-cultural approach; and the body politic: social injustice. The results of this study illustrate that body mapping is a unique visual research method, that explores the body as the vehicle in which we exist within the world, while containing a vast amount of layered interpretive and cultural meanings, which are key to understanding the lived experience of people from marginalised groups.

Keywords:

• Visual research methods
• body mapping
• HIV/AIDS
• medical anthropology

Acknowledgements

This research has been funded by the Europe - South-Africa Partnership for Human Development (EUROSA) – Doctoral scholarship (EMA 2 – South Africa) and Research Project funds allocated by Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Grant number: G033914N).

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interest that has influenced this research as reported by the author(s).

Ethical Approval

This research study has been ethically approved by the Social Sciences and Humanities Ethical Committee of the University of Antwerp, reference: SHW_16_09.