The Metal Islands: Culture, History, and Politics in Caribbean Heavy Metal Music

For the past forty years, the Caribbean has spawned a massive array of metal music, which for the most part has remained under the radar from the rest of the world. It is nearly impossible to capture the entire history of metal in the region given its prolific output. Nevertheless, this documentary sheds some light on three metal scenes in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. The documentary examines how each island\u27s metal scene has been influenced by history, culture, and political context. It explores issues related to the origins of these scenes, social stigmatization, media persecution, the integration of local culture into the metal scene, and the relationship between the state and metal, among other topics.https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cri_events/1404/thumbnail.jp

Qualitative Contributions to a Randomized Controlled Trial Addressing HIV/AIDS-Stigma in Medical Students

Specialized training for healthcare professionals (HCP) in order to reduce HIV/AIDS related stigma must be part of a public health model for HIV/AIDS. Tested interventions to reduce HIV/AIDS related stigma among HCP have been mostly absent from these efforts. A qualitative approach was used to assess stigma reduction within a traditional randomized controlled design in order to better understand how our current stigma intervention worked and was understood by 2nd year medical students. After conducting a quantitative follow up survey one-year post intervention we conducted 20 in-depth qualitative interviews with a subsample of our intervention group participants as part of the overall evaluation process. Once the interviews were finished, we transcribed them and used NVivo (v.8) to organized the qualitative data. In the process of analyzing the qualitative data we identified core intervention areas participants described as useful for their training and development: (1) acquiring more HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, (2) increased skills for management of high stigma situations, and (3) the ability to identify socio-structural factors that foster HIV infection among clients. The gathered information is important in order to have a deep understanding of how attitudinal change happens as part of our intervention strategies

Ellos de la calle: Nosotras de la Casa: Discurso patriarcal y las experiencias de mujeres que viven con el VIH/SIDA en Puerto Rico

This study aims to understand how patriarchal discourse could influence the processes of stigmatization of Puerto Rican women living with HIV/AIDS (WHA) and how this could negatively affect adherence to treatment in this population. This study is a secondary analysis of data from a larger project addressing behavioral manifestations of HIV/AIDS stigma. Three focus groups of WHA (n = 32) were analyzed. Verbalizations were related to: a) blame towards WHA for not using protection during intercourse, b) HIV/AIDS as a punishment for WHA as a result of other «promiscuous» women that came in contact with their partners, and c) stigma associated to infection via unclean needle sharing for intravenous drugs use due to WHA «not being in their house». Stigma towards WHA was related to the mean of infection, being more relevant those linked to patriarchal discourses that prevail in Puerto Rican society. The verbalizations point to an HIV stigmatizing discourse towards the feminine body enmeshed in patriarchal notions of how women should behave. Social stigmatization of HIV/AIDS should be reassessed from a gender perspective in research as well as interventions with WHA.Este trabajo busca comprender cómo el discurso patriarcal podría matizar los procesos de estigmatización en las mujeres puertorriqueñas con VIH/SIDA y cómo podría incidir negativamente en la adherencia al tratamiento. Se realizó un análisis secundario de información de un estudio sobre manifestaciones comportamentales del estigma con diseño mixto secuencial. Se analizaron cuatro grupos focales de mujeres puertorriqueñas con VIH/SIDA (n = 32). Del análisis se identificaron verbalizaciones relacionadas con: a) el papel de la maternidad; b) el acceso a servicios ginecológicos; c) la responsabilidad de la transmisión del VIH/SIDA a la mujer, viéndose el VIH/SIDA como castigo para la mujer puertorriqueña con VIH/SIDA debido a la promiscuidad de otras mujeres vinculadas a sus compañeros. Se reflejaron diferentes grados de estigmatización entre las mujeres puertorriqueñas con VIH/SIDA, y d) experiencias estigmatizantes de la mujer puertorriqueña con VIH/SIDA con profesionales de la salud, quienes las culpabilizan por no utilizar protección en las relaciones heterosexuales. El estigma estuvo matizado por la vía de infección, siendo más relevante aquellas vinculadas al discurso patriarcal. Las verbalizaciones apuntan al discurso de un VIH/SIDA con cuerpo femenino, con resultados nocivos para «aquellas de la casa», contagiadas por «aquellas que no están en la casa». Esta investigación contribuye a futuros esfuerzos para prevenir el VIH/SIDA, insertando valores culturales y sociales adscritos en una sociedad patriarcal como elementos vinculantes con la vulnerabilización de mujeres al VIH/SIDA

Session 3: Community and Metal

Christopher Thompson: ‘True’ Norwegian Identity: Norwegian Black Metal’s Uses of History Norwegian black metal is a style of music synonymous with violent action and crime while it is at the same one of Norway’s most widely known cultural products. Over the genre’s two decades long existence, Norwegian black metal has gone from a dangerous pariah to becoming coopted as an important part of Norwegian culture. In a place that is probably best known for its idyllic nature, high levels of democracy and equality, and high standards of living it is a paradox that a genre as extreme as Norwegian black metal could flourish and become an accepted part of Norwegian culture. Therefore, the question that needs to be answered is: how has Norwegian black metal become integrated as an important part of national culture in Norway? To answer this question one requires both a knowledge of Norwegian history and the formation of its identity, as well as an understanding of how these elements have persisted in the modern construction of Norwegian identity. Nearly from the beginning, Norwegian black metal bands have been using popular conceptions of Norwegian history and romanticized identity in their music. While it can be seen in lyrics and the music, the most prominent uses of history and romanticized identity can be found in the visual aspects of the music. Most often this comes in the form of album artwork, however, it can also in be seen in merchandise and promotional material. From the analysis of this source material it can be seen that Norwegian black metal bands use romanticized notions of Norwegian history in order to express a ‘true’ Norwegian identity. The presentation will cover black metal, its presence in Norway, and an overview of Norwegian national identity and its formation during the nineteenth century. Visual components will accompany the presentation as required. Nelson Varas-Diaz: Communal Formation in Small Metal Scenes: Methodological Implications and Challenges. Heavy Metal music has faced constant scrutiny due to its perceived negative effects on its listeners. Some research has focused on Heavy Metal music as a risk factor for mental health problems and antisocial behavior. This research agenda has neglected to explore and document how the music can foster positive outcomes among its listeners, in particular a strong sense of community. For example, research has shown that feeling part of a community has a significant positive impact on a range of outcomes for both, individuals and groups. Some of these include: social engagement, lower levels of depressive symptoms and suicide ideation, protective factors against violence, traumatic experiences and general mental health problems, just to name a few. Fans and producers of Heavy Metal music constantly reference community as an important aspect of the sonic experience. Still, few studies have addressed the communal experience in Heavy Metal music from a multi-method perspective focusing on its positive implications. Metal Music Studies, as an emerging field of inquiry, needs to engage in methodological discussions related to its subjects of interest. Therefore, the main objective of our presentation is to reflect on the challenges and facilitating factors of research on community within small metal scenes. We will present data from a larger study of the metal scene in the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, which used a multi-method approach including ethnographic observations, qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys and documentary film making as techniques to document the communal experience among members of the local metal scene. These techniques were embedded in a Community based Participatory Research Model, stressing the role of communal participation in the research design and implementation. We will discuss the implications of each technique, including its benefits and limitations, in documenting the communal experience

Experiencias de Hombres Puertorriqueños Ante el Estigma Relacionado con el VIH/SIDA (Puerto Rican Men’s Experiences with HIV/AIDS Stigma)

Los discursos sobre las masculinidades pueden tener implicaciones adversas sobre la salud de los hombres aumentando su vulnerabilidad a ciertas enfermedades, reduciendo su expectativa de vida y disminuyendo su disposición para solicitar servicios de salud. Estos discursos sociales permean el proceso de estigmatización hacia el VIH/SIDA, afectándolos de manera particular. El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar la intersección entre discursos sobre las masculinidades y la estigmatización del VIH/SIDA en hombres puertorriqueños. El diseño del estudio fue uno de corte exploratorio, para el cual se realizaron entrevistas cualitativas y semiestructuradas a 16 hombres puertorriqueños con VIH. Los resultados del análisis aluden a las siguientes dimensiones: relaciones de pareja, coexistencia de múltiples estigmas debido a su preferencia sexual y dificultad en el manejo de las emociones expresadas por otros/as. Los datos evidencian la necesidad de abordar, desde una perspectiva de género, las implicaciones de la estigmatización para contribuir a mejorar su calidad de vida y transformar los discursos sobre los roles de géneros tradicionales. Esperamos que el objetivo y los resultados de nuestra investigación contribuyan a la creciente literatura sobre los significados sociales de la epidemia del VIH/SIDA y su intersección con las expectativas sociales que impone la masculinidad hegemónica sobre los hombres

A brief, standardized tool for measuring HIV-related stigma among health facility staff: results of field testing in China, Dominica, Egypt, Kenya, Puerto Rico and St. Christopher & Nevis

INTRODUCTION: Within healthcare settings, HIV-related stigma is a recognized barrier to access of HIV prevention and treatment services and yet, few efforts have been made to scale-up stigma reduction programs in service delivery. This is in part due to the lack of a brief, simple, standardized tool for measuring stigma among all levels of health facility staff that works across diverse HIV prevalence, language and healthcare settings. In response, an international consortium led by the Health Policy Project, has developed and field tested a stigma measurement tool for use with health facility staff. METHODS: Experts participated in a content-development workshop to review an item pool of existing measures, identify gaps and prioritize questions. The resulting questionnaire was field tested in six diverse sites (China, Dominica, Egypt, Kenya, Puerto Rico and St. Christopher & Nevis). Respondents included clinical and non-clinical staff. Questionnaires were self- or interviewer-administered. Analysis of item performance across sites examined both psychometric properties and contextual issues. RESULTS: The key outcome of the process was a substantially reduced questionnaire. Eighteen core questions measure three programmatically actionable drivers of stigma within health facilities (worry about HIV transmission, attitudes towards people living with HIV (PLHIV), and health facility environment, including policies), and enacted stigma. The questionnaire also includes one short scale for attitudes towards PLHIV (5-item scale, α = 0.78). CONCLUSIONS: Stigma-reduction programmes in healthcare facilities are urgently needed to improve the quality of care provided, uphold the human right to healthcare, increase access to health services, and maximize investments in HIV prevention and treatment. This brief, standardized tool will facilitate inclusion of stigma measurement in research studies and in routine facility data collection, allowing for the monitoring of stigma within healthcare facilities and evaluation of stigma-reduction programmes. There is potential for wide use of the tool either as a stand-alone survey or integrated within other studies of health facility staff