| Abstrakt: |
Public health organisations and agencies in Botswana have in recent years robustly embarked on comprehensive campaigns for safe male circumcision. Noticeably aiming at promoting the health of males in Botswana, and that of females by extension, safe male circumcision messages revolved around the fact that male circumcision improves the hygiene of the penis and reduces the risk of urinary tract infections, the chances of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease infections, as well as the chances of getting cancer of the penis. To reach a large number of males with information about safe male circumcision, ambient communication was one of the methods that was used. Given that the concept of "ambient communication" was conceived and developed in Western cultural and communication environments, where the development of scientific knowledge about safe male circumcision first emerged, the objective of this study was to unearth whether or not the ambient communication method was used effectively and in ways that conformed with the socio-cultural contexts of males in Botswana and could potentially spark public engagements and communicative interactions. Using observation and semi-structured interview methods, the results showed that despite traces of sound strategic communication planning, the distribution of ambient advertising media was disproportionate and left many apposite public spaces unused. It is recommended that many more strategic local sites such as pubs, stores, bus bays, shelters at hitch-hiking spots, the sides and backs of cars and donkey carts, the outside of doors and many other local sites and non-places be used to spectacularly advertise messages about safe male circumcision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
