LANGUAGE AND HEALTHCARE: Argumentation and Paralinguistic Strategies in HIV/AIDS Counselling


Published in UTUENIKANG - December, 2021

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Abstract

This work identifies the discourses that promote adherence to HIV treatment and also indicates the discursive strategies that are used by the nurse counsellors, social workers, and even the HIV-positive persons. This research is based on a study carried out at the Bamenda Regional Hospital, in the North West Region of Cameroon in 2020. Since the early years of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, adherence to treatment has remained one of the major challenges to successful HIV prevention, care, and treatment. The paper thus seeks to clarify the relationship between epidemic and adherence, and also determine how best to discursively promote safety consciousness among the HIV-positive persons. This work is undertaken within the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), drawing especially on Ruth Wodak’s Discourse Historical Approach (DHA) and Teun van Dijk’s Socio-Cognitive Approach (SCA) which, according to Van Dijk, (2003) which states that properties of language which can vary as a function of social power should be taken into consideration when analysing language. The data for this work was obtained from the Bamenda Regional Hospital in 2020 consisting of recorded counselling sessions for HIV/AIDS patients as well as interviews with the nurse counsellors, social workers, and medical doctors. The primary data is presented in Pidgin English which is a lingua franca in the research community. Counsellors mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS during counselling sessions and the strategies they use in intensifying the fight against HIV/AIDS are examined. It was noticed that proper counselling on HIV/AIDS contributes significantly to improving prevention, reducing stigma, and promoting adherence. Stigma and depression can be conquered and hope and social harmony assured if everybody is made aware (through the use of appropriate awareness-creation language) that HIV/AIDS is a disease that can be managed and lived with.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS Discourse Counselling Critical Discourse Analysis Adherence

Cataloging & Classification: Bi-annually , Vol.1(1) pp. 133-149

Author

  • Tameh, Kilian Gifui
    English Department,
    Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences,
    University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon
    kgtameh@yahoo.co.uk