Effect of Culture and Environment on the Behaviour of Namibian Youth

In-Depth Interviews Fact Sheet

In partnership with the University of Namibia through support by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), researchers from Research Facilitation Services in Windhoek and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs (CCP) conducted this qualitative study to determine the effect of culture and environment on youth behavior. The study aimed to provide information for the development of a radio magazine program to address lifestyle issues for youth called "The Suzie and Shafa Show”. A random representative sample of 100 greater Windhoek youth (age 15-25) participated in in-depth interviews designed to uncover the beliefs, emotions, and reasons underlying health-related attitudes and behaviors (with a special emphasis on beliefs and perceptions about HIV and AIDS).

GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS

• Most youth mentioned specific jobs they wanted to have and seemed fairly optimistic about their lives, yet blame the government for not doing enough to provide support for higher education or for getting good jobs.
  
  • "The economic structure of our country [is a hindrance to reaching our goals]: there are not really financial institutions to provide support like bursaries." (male)
• Females tended to focus on traditional goals and roles.
  
  • "I want to assist AIDS sufferers with food."
  • "I want to have healthy children and look after them."
  • "I want to get married."
• Males had broader job options:
  
  • I want to be a professional soccer player for Namibia.
  • "I want to be a successful lawyer."
  • "I want to help sick people and find a cure for AIDS.(wants to become a doctor)"
  • "I want to be a responsible citizen."
• About half of the youth thought things like HIV infection, reckless behavior (e.g., alcohol abuse, acting irresponsible), or financial problems would prevent them from living the life they desired.
• 83% expect to live to only about 50 years; youth said they expected a lower life expectancy because of AIDS and self-destructive behavior that might cut their lives short.
  
  • They (youth in general) drink too much and then they can't control themselves. They will die from smoking, drinking and unprotected sex. (female)

INFLUENCES ON YOUTH

• Youth had a difficult time articulating various influences on them, but did acknowledge that family values often conflicted with friends/media values.
• 25% youth report feeling closest to parents, 25% chose friends/peers, and 25% chose family (including siblings and grandparents)
• Influence of parents and family varied:
• "My family influences me 50% of the time - what they say and what I think. Then I put the two together."
• "I want to be like my brother. He studies, doesn't smoke, doesn't have a girlfriend. He has a good influence on me." (young male)
• "My mother... tells me how to treat a wife when you get married."
• I was taught to always respect elders. Now I only respect those who respect me. I was raised never to beg for something, but when I want something I will beg for it."
• "You can"t be the same now as when you were raised. You want to have fun and do what your friends do, have girlfriends and drink."
• The typical adolescent-parent conflicts emerged in the interviews as well:
  
  • They make me angry when they don't want me to do anything I want."
  • "I want to live a modern life but they still live like the olden days."
  • "Do what is good for you. Don't just do as your parents wish, just because they are your parents."
  • "I would like to be more relaxed and open about sex, not like at our house."
• Friends appeared to have a strong influence on youth, though sometimes youth denied their impact.
  
  • "I act differently with my friends because my family might not like that type of behaviour."
  • "They give me advice and I follow it, but I still act the same - I am still the same person."
  • "They make me do things I think is wrong. But I still stay the same."
  • "Yes I do act differently. When I am with my friends I act like a small child. When I am with my parents I have to be like a grown up."
  • I can speak to my friends about AIDS and condoms and I can't speak to my family about it"
• Only 17.2% perceived that the media do not influence their lives.
  
  • "Movies give you the mental picture that sex is not wrong. It encourages sex."
  • "Some programs on TV show teenagers that you should not be a virgin when you are in high school. That is an influence."
• Many youth, especially young males, heavily identify with American culture (especially hip-hop and ganster culture, as glorified on television, in music, and in the movies).
  
  • "I want to live in America."
  • "Movies from America influence me. I want to be a nigger from America and dress like Tupac and talk like them - the gangsters."
  • "They constantly copy the American ways."
  • "Most of them (friends) want to be like Americans. They admire the lifestyle of the gangsters."
• The media also served an education function.
  
  • "It gives me advice."
  • "I am inspired by success stories (that I see in the media)."
  • "They show that you will get AIDS or fall pregnant if you don't use a condom."
  • "I learned about condoms through advertisements."
  • "Programs about people with AIDS will let me be more careful, especially if I see that they are suffering."
• Issues raised by the media tend to be talked about with friends nearly three times as often as with other family members, parents, or other adults.
  
  • "I only listen to gangster music, and rap and hip hop with my friends, because my family doesn¡¦t like it."
  • "My family doesn't like me to watch romantic movies because they think it makes me mindful of boys."
  • "The program For Youth talks about sex and I don't know how to react around my family."
• 63% said media influenced the actions of their friends and themselves, mainly through a combination of copying or imitating what they see, and a mix of good and bad examples set by the media.

URBAN VERSUS RURAL CULTURE

• 91% of youth said there were strong differences between urban and rural cultures.
• Urban youth believe they are superior to rural youth.
  
  • "When I go to the farm, their ladies they are not clean. They don't attract my attention - they are not my type."
• Around 12% of respondents said that urban youth tend to be more experienced and informed about sex, whilst another 11.3% said that the biggest hurdle in rural areas was to get a hold of condoms.
  
  • "On the farm, I live with my grandparents. I won't have sex because I have too much respect for them."
  • "Yes, in the rural area, having a girlfriend must be a secret. Parents will be mad if they find out. In Windhoek sometimes parents don't care."
  • "Yes, I cannot find condoms in rural areas. The clinics are very far."
  • I would not know about condoms and other sexual issues if I was brought up in a rural area."
  • "In urban areas the media influences sexual behaviour, and in the rural areas there is no media to do that - they just do what they know."
• If the two lifestyles were to be described as brands, it would probably read something like this:
  
  • URBAN: Advanced, Sophisticated, Privileged, Modern and Educated.
  • RURAL: Hard working, Disciplined, Traditional and Respectful.
• The rural areas tend to be more prescriptive about what should be worn, such as more traditional dresses for females, what should be spoken ("no English in the North"), and how to act in general.

GENDER STEREOTYPES

• 72% said there were proper ways for the different sexes to act.
• Males said:
  
  • "There are some boundaries for women. They should be more lady-like."
  • "Women shouldn't leave their husbands and children at home."
  • She should show that she is a married woman."
• Females said:
  
  • "Be proud of being a woman. Shouldn't behave like street walkers."
  • "They should say if they don't want to have sex."
  • "Women are too flirtatious. They should stay calm and not show a guy if they like him."
• These stereotypes appeared to influence attitudes toward domestic violence.
  
  • "The Bible also says that the man is the head of the house so if something goes wrong he is allowed to hit the woman, as long as he does not kill her." (female)
  • "My culture. If they don't hit, they don't love." (Oshivambo speaking female respondent)

MEANINGS OF WORDS

• The majority of youth failed to understand common AIDS prevention terms.
• ABSTINENCE - The word abstinence sounded like being absent to many respondents and therefore they linked words that imply "being absent" to the concept of "abstinence."
• MONOGAMY - The word monogamy was even less understood than abstinence, with 75% of respondents saying they have never heard of it. The minority who had heard of it had a fair idea of the implication that it is a relationship between two people only.
• FAITHFULNESS - The word faithfulness was also really problematic because it sounded like faith to many who use English as a second language. However, many did explain it as being true (to something or somebody) or as a form of monogamy. This category called "monogamy" is our term for their explanations of having one partner, not the term used by respondents.
• CONDOM USE - The only concept that was widely understood was that of condom use, and even this was problematic. A male respondent mentioned that he had become a Christian and would therefore not discuss using a condom any more, since it was against his religion to have sex before marriage. One female respondent was afraid of being branded "loose" and did not want to talk about it - if one talks about something it may appear to be a habit, which could imply promiscuous behaviour.
• The high level of knowledge about condoms came from friends and the media.
  
  • "We hear it all over the radio and TV." (male)
  • "They (friends) tell my how to do it. " (male)
  • "I was told at school by my friend." (female)
• There also appeared to be a high level of knowledge about about HIV and AIDS.
• "What can still be provided that is not already provided?"
• 84% want to be tested; those who don¡¦t want to be tested say they already know their status, though it is not clear how they know their status; only three persons did not know where to go to get tested.

STIGMA

• Stigma is perceived to be high with about two-thirds of youth saying people with HIV or AIDS are rejected by their communities and society in general.
• MALES said:
  
  • "Mostly, they are treated very bad and they end up dying alone and unloved."
  • "I think they are closed off from any kind of activities and decision making. They are pushed aside."
  • "They are treated like dogs, in an inhuman way. People do not want to sit next to them or share food and cups."
• FEMALES said:
  
  • "People reject them because they are scared and ignorant."
  • "Some think it's a curse."
  • "They are treated like nobodies. Some don't even talk to them."
  • "People have a feelings of resentment. It ruins relationships."

ROLE OF THE CHURCH

• The majority of respondents have strong ties with the Church, with only 12.2% of respondents saying otherwise.
  
  • "I want to be more devoted to Christian life." (female)
  • "The Church was important. I grew up in a Catholic boarding school. I believe that one should get married before you get involved in sexual activities." (male)
  • "It is the backbone of my kind of life." (Catholic respondent)
• Youth say the church's role is to teach abstinence, morality, no sex before marriage, and pray for the sick; many perceive the church as judgmental toward issues of sex and AIDS.
• Many respondents wish for the church to be a line of support and information for HIV and AIDS but perceive the church to be unapproachable and judgmental towards the youth.
• Given this opportunity of having an influence on youth by their high involvement levels, these ties could be closer if the Church as an institution chooses to be more sensitive and realistic about needs and problems of today's youth.

SUMMARY:

• This study revealed that mass media have a profound influence on youth, both through direct modeling and identification and through youth modeling their friends who were influenced by the media.
• Youth walk a tightrope between urban and youth cultures and many hold very traditional views of male and female roles, yet at the same time they are experimenting with other roles they see modeled on the media.
• The church is a major social and support organization for Namibian youth.
• Many youth recognize they engage in self-destructive behavior and about 25% say they just can't help themselves and act "reckless and irresponsible."
• Many youth do not understand the meaning of abstinence, faithfulness, and to a lesser extent monogamy. The meanings of these common AIDS-prevention words need to be carefully tested in native languages to ensure clear understanding by youth.
• Stigma is perceived as high, both in the community and in the church (the church is seen as being judgmental against youth who have sex).

For a copy of the full report contact: jboyle@jhuccp.org