Boys to Men in the Shadow of AIDS: Masculinities and HIV Risk in Zambia

by Anthony Simpson

The AIDS epidemic has afflicted Sub-Saharan Africa disproportionately, affecting every aspect of culture and society. In this intimate, longitudinal study Anthony Simpson analyzes the lives of a group of men who studied together at a Catholic mission school in Zambia and explores how the risk of HIV infection has shaped sexual practices. Boys to Men in the Shadow of AIDS reveals the dangerous fragility of masculinity in many men’s attempts to act out the ideal of the “real man.” Simpson looks at their search for meaning, and their response to both prevention and HIV testing campaigns, to suggest how to refigure masculinity and redesign gender relationships.

243 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2009