Social Science Research Programme
Prof. Janet Seeley, Head of Programme
In the past, the traditional role of social science research in the Uganda Unit had been to provide support to the Unit’s clinical and epidemiological studies by helping to interpret the results of these studies from a behavioural perspective. Whilst we have continued to fulfil this essential role, social science research has grown during the recent past, shifting to a more equitable balance between such sub-projects and independent research projects. As part of this development, the original Social Science Research Project has developed into a full Social Science Research Programme.Since the end of 2008, the Programme has focused on three overarching objectives: (i) to examine the social impact of the epidemic with particular respect to household trajectories, food and livelihood security, older people and people living with ART; (ii) to investigate the drivers of HIV infection in the current epidemic stage among, with a particular interest in sex workers and their clients and regular partners, fisherfolk, and HIV discordant couples; and (iii) to undertake anthropological studies on specific populations and topics, in particular regarding adolescence and childhood, men and masculinity, and HIV, ART and identity.
Studies to examine the social impact of the epidemic
Livelihood trajectories and HIV and AIDS in South West Uganda – a longitudinal study of rural households
Principal investigator: Janet Seeley
Co-investigators: Dominic Bukenya, Pamela Nasirumbi
Collaborating institutions: General Population Cohort
Funding: ESRC, MRC
Background: In 1991-1992, the MRC Programme undertook a study of households selected from the General Population Cohort (see section on the Observational Studies Programme). Over a period of one year field researchers paid monthly visits to the study households to record changes in a number of different aspects of the household’s daily life such as composition, employment, health, food consumption and social networks, and developed indicators that could be useful to identify households which may not be able to cope at times of crisis. A follow-up study after about 15 years has now been conducted to understand how households coped or failed to cope with the impact of HIV infection. more
Head of Programme: Prof.Janet Seeley