Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: Luna's book presents a selection from a
large number of narrative cases
collected by ethnographers of the Joven
Project, a multicenter ethnographic
study carried out in the United States
over a two-year period (1992-1994). Review by Stefano Campostrini, Dept of Statitical Sciences University
of Padova Italy
from Social Science and Medicine no 48 1999 - pgs 132 -133 Pergamon
Press
Luna's book presents a selection from a large number of narrative
cases collected by ethnographers of the Joven Project, a multicenter
ethnographic study carried out in the United States over a two-year
period (1992-1994). Luna's work has two purposes: (a) to identify
public issues regarding youth HIV infection and AIDS starting from
the private troubles and experience of youths: and (b) to demonstrate
the need for preventive and intervention measures,
The book offers several leads to a better understanding of the
HIV/AIDS pandemic in American youth, even for the reader who would
like to leave emotions aside. The life stories of twelve youths are
full of meaning. They allow the author to show the different ways
youths cope with their HIV status. Coping itself is proposed as the
most important aspect, being the way in which the adaptation process
to the HIV status is accomplished. In these different ways of coping,
differences between middle class youths and those economically
disadvantaged sharply emerge. The positive or negative role played by
social services in different situations emerges as important. Many
other aspects are emphasized, such as self-harmful behavior,
considered as incompetent coping, or the diversities between youths
living in different areas (suburban, rural environments, etc.).
Each story is presented in a single chapter, mostly it is principally
the narrative, and only a brief part commentary. The commentary is
always more oriented to a better understanding of the environment of
the story rather than to speculations. The latter are proposed in a
discussion chapter presenting the~major themes from which Luna's
reading and rational..become clear. The reader is freed to absorb a
wide presentation of problems, and to observe behavioral reactions
and behavioral patterns directly from the living stories, thus
revealing 'the several problematic areas, linked to the HIV pandemic
and also tied to "past or present experiences of emotional
abandonment."
The major value of this book is to present rich material from a large
study in a way that is concise and at the same time very informative.
We do not know whether the case selection is the best one, but, in my
interpretation of the value of this book, this is not the point. The
book offers a broad and clear view of American youth dealing with HI
V/AIDS, and the reader can feel that in what is presented.
At the same time, I do not think that this book has fulfilled its
second aim, namely demonstrating something (although this word often
occurs in Luna's discussion). Even trying to avoid the bias due to
working in a Statistical department, I still think that it is better
to look at this book as research material, more useful in drawing
hypothesis and theories than in proving any. The interviews presented
in the book as well as their introduction and discussion, along with
the useful index organized by arguments and the bibliography that
lists approximately 90 references, will be of dramatic interest to
health care professionals and people concerned with the struggle of
youth. I believe that this could also be important material for
research, and certainly a must for those who wish to conduct research
on youths and AIDS. First, one can find interesting theories to
examine, and secondly one can find interesting and ready-to-use
material to develop other hypotheses, perhaps different from those
presented by Luna. I personally do not think that Marie's or ROse's
stories can demonstrate something. I am not even sure they show a
~self-evident truth', but I am positively convinced they can help-
generally, in better understanding the impact of the HIV/AIDS
epidemic on youth. For those who are willing to carry on research in
this field (including all the number-crushers like myself), they may
direct their studies better, and show some reasonable approximation
of the unreachable truth.
Department of Statistical Sciences
University of Padova
via S.Francesco. 33
35121 Padova
Italy
Stefano CainpostriniOwner: G. Cajetan Luna