Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Acquiring Social Capital: the biographical trajectory of long-term surviving HIV/AIDS activist Faghmeda Miller
Despite criticism from relatives, religious leaders and her Muslim community, Faghmeda Miller publicly disclosed her HIV status on World AIDS Day in 1996. She became the first Muslim woman in South Africa to do so. Her story of courage in the face of the unknown, stigma and discrimination echo the c...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Religious Studies
2020
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613326417068032 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Altalib, Najma |
| author2 | Tayob, Abdulkader |
| author_browse | Altalib, Najma Tayob, Abdulkader |
| author_facet | Tayob, Abdulkader Altalib, Najma |
| author_sort | Altalib, Najma |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Despite criticism from relatives, religious leaders and her Muslim community, Faghmeda Miller publicly disclosed her HIV status on World AIDS Day in 1996. She became the first Muslim woman in South Africa to do so. Her story of courage in the face of the unknown, stigma and discrimination echo the complex social context in which HIV is experienced nationally and globally. It places emphasis on the fact that HIV affects all humans, irrespective of religion, race, gender, sexuality or socio-economic status. Using life trajectory as a method of enquiring into Miller's social and religious meaning making regarding her infection and HIV and AIDS activism, this research presents her challenges and victories in her journey with HIV and AIDS. The biographical study examines how she became the face of a Muslim woman with HIV in society. In speaking up for the infected voiceless and taking a lead in creating awareness about a highly stigmatised disease, Miller shows how personal agency was used to change attitudes, save lives and offer support to the suffering. Mass media in the 1990s—television, radio and print—played a crucial role in her trajectory. This study argues that Miller acquired social capital through the declaration of her HIV status, increasing her public profile, and co-founding the Muslim HIV/AIDS organization, Positive Muslims. The analysis focuses on turning points in her life trajectory, including traumatic experiences, transformative reflections on Islam, and activism. Through her personal and social challenge with the virus, she ultimately embraces an inclusive Islamic theology of compassion. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/32439 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:34:20.437Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Department of Religious Studies |
| publisherStr | Department of Religious Studies |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/32439 Acquiring Social Capital: the biographical trajectory of long-term surviving HIV/AIDS activist Faghmeda Miller Altalib, Najma Tayob, Abdulkader Religious Studies Despite criticism from relatives, religious leaders and her Muslim community, Faghmeda Miller publicly disclosed her HIV status on World AIDS Day in 1996. She became the first Muslim woman in South Africa to do so. Her story of courage in the face of the unknown, stigma and discrimination echo the complex social context in which HIV is experienced nationally and globally. It places emphasis on the fact that HIV affects all humans, irrespective of religion, race, gender, sexuality or socio-economic status. Using life trajectory as a method of enquiring into Miller's social and religious meaning making regarding her infection and HIV and AIDS activism, this research presents her challenges and victories in her journey with HIV and AIDS. The biographical study examines how she became the face of a Muslim woman with HIV in society. In speaking up for the infected voiceless and taking a lead in creating awareness about a highly stigmatised disease, Miller shows how personal agency was used to change attitudes, save lives and offer support to the suffering. Mass media in the 1990s—television, radio and print—played a crucial role in her trajectory. This study argues that Miller acquired social capital through the declaration of her HIV status, increasing her public profile, and co-founding the Muslim HIV/AIDS organization, Positive Muslims. The analysis focuses on turning points in her life trajectory, including traumatic experiences, transformative reflections on Islam, and activism. Through her personal and social challenge with the virus, she ultimately embraces an inclusive Islamic theology of compassion. 2020-12-23T05:53:48Z 2020-12-23T05:53:48Z 2020 2020-12-22T13:55:00Z Master Thesis Masters MSocSci http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32439 eng application/pdf Department of Religious Studies Faculty of Humanities |
| spellingShingle | Religious Studies Altalib, Najma Acquiring Social Capital: the biographical trajectory of long-term surviving HIV/AIDS activist Faghmeda Miller |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Acquiring Social Capital: the biographical trajectory of long-term surviving HIV/AIDS activist Faghmeda Miller |
| title_full | Acquiring Social Capital: the biographical trajectory of long-term surviving HIV/AIDS activist Faghmeda Miller |
| title_fullStr | Acquiring Social Capital: the biographical trajectory of long-term surviving HIV/AIDS activist Faghmeda Miller |
| title_full_unstemmed | Acquiring Social Capital: the biographical trajectory of long-term surviving HIV/AIDS activist Faghmeda Miller |
| title_short | Acquiring Social Capital: the biographical trajectory of long-term surviving HIV/AIDS activist Faghmeda Miller |
| title_sort | acquiring social capital the biographical trajectory of long term surviving hiv aids activist faghmeda miller |
| topic | Religious Studies |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32439 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT altalibnajma acquiringsocialcapitalthebiographicaltrajectoryoflongtermsurvivinghivaidsactivistfaghmedamiller |