PhD defence Ellen Blommaert at University of Amsterdam

Ms Ellen Blommaert (Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research) will defend her PhD thesis entitled 'Aspirations and Sex: Coming of Age in Western Kenya in a Context of HIV' at the University of Amsterdam.

This PhD dissertation is rooted in the daily life world of young people (between 16 and 25 years old) in Winam (Nyanza Province, western Kenya). It is an ethnographic, anthropological study that seeks to draw our attention to young people’s hopes, aspirations, and expectations. It shows how these young people creatively construct their livelihood and how this influences their sexual relationships in a context where HIV/AIDS has taken a toll on human lives and livelihoods. I examine the livelihood opportunities and challenges of the young people of Winam with the goal of understanding their sexual relationships and networks. More precisely, how they form sexual relationships, avoid the health risks associated with sex, and understand the links between sex, love, and money. Young people’s perceptions of a ‘state-of-the-art’ HIV/AIDS prevention project are also analysed in order to discern the role such interventions play in their daily lives.

Promotor: Prof. dr. A.P. Hardon, and prof. dr. M.E. de Bruijn (ASC and LU)
Co-promotor: Prof. dr. A. Buvé (Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde, Antwerpen).

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