Households and social networks in times of HIV/AIDS: a case from Tanzania

Abstract

The household is important because it is the unit to which the generation of a livelihood is anchored. It is the arena where much of daily life takes place and the centre of processes that determine the welfare of individual members. A risky situation or shock such as HIV/AIDS may jeopardise a household’s future livelihood. Households are not isolated units as they are embedded in and surrounded by support networks, notably kinship networks, friends, and neighbours. These social networks between households provide a sort of safety net for households that face problems, which may prevent them from falling into poverty. This chapter questions the ability of the household to cope with or adapt to, HIV/AIDS impacts by claiming from its social networks. Drawing from Mkamba village in Morogoro region in Tanzania as a case study, this study explored how households use their social networks to mitigate HIV/AIDS impacts. The findings of the study show that not all households are equally resilient to HIV/AIDS impacts. The very poor and known HIV/AIDS-affected households tend to be barred from networks because of either their inability to maintain these networks or because of the stigma. In conjunction with other socio-economic changes in the study area, HIV/AIDS triggers the breakdown of inter-household reciprocal relations that are vital for individuals and households in times of crises. It is concluded that the extent to which households can make claims on social networks depends on their ability to build up their social capital.