Assimilation Theory
...black women are torn from relationship and go to have more concurrent relationships, or more than one partner in communities where more people are infected.” (p.3) Thus the assimilation theory is not a valid explanation for the assembly of social relationships, because members of the dominant culture share similar issues and desires. Factor #2 In the second paragraph, the author makes the implication that the HIV test shows a lack of transparency and explanation to the public. Sexual education and enlightening should have a higher priority in our society while opposing sexual diseases. “I didn’t ask him about his sexual history. I asked him if he had been tested, and he said one test came back positive but another one came back negative.” (p.1) The fact that black women are the most effected group of people that are infected with HIV could be explained by the cause of unequal education, which is an inevitable byproduct of discrimination caused by assimilation. More detailed analysis about sexual behavior will follow in factor six. Factor #3 One of the most essential aspects to understand the increasing HIV disease is to look at socioeconomic and demographic conditions of African Americans. As already explained in factor #1, black individuals, stereotypically tend to associate with their own kind more than with other ethnic groups. Black communities with preexisting HIV problems for reasons that I will explain later, therefore are more likely to have increasing sexual diseases than a white middle class community. “A 22-year old woman who has sex with multiple men in an area with very low HIV prevalence, such as Georgetown bar for well connected young people in D.C. politics, probably has a less chance of getting infected than a 22-year old women who had sex with only one man in a poor D.C. neighborhood with very high HIV prevalence.” (p.3) Statistically most African American neighborhoods are, compared to white middle class neighborhoods economically disadvantaged, which drastically affects their social behavior. Now this does not mean that African Americans have more sex than white people, rather does it point out a significant inequality of conditions in which people can live and have sex. Factor #4 Living conditions widely vary among different ethnic groups in the United States and are most decisive to our social behavior. The common definition of crime indicates that crime is ultimately caused by poverty and the unequal conditions the people that live in poverty are exposed to. These conditions, mainly economic conditions are the main reason HIV cases increase among black females. “Fraser Howze said the number of health facilities in black communities is inadequate when compared with the growing size of the problem.” (p.2) Insufficient HIV counseling as well as overprized condoms made so called “the act of love” a privilege to does only, who can financially afford it. The assimilation theory fails to explain fact of class and socioeconomic differences that dominate our society and in these lines even our sexual interaction. “Reducing HIV infections among black women will involve more than appeals to avoid risky behavior, asking women to remain abstinent and passing out condoms, . . . You also have to eliminate the economic factors that dramatically influence behavior, disease and risk.” (p.2) According to the articles surveys, black women and Hispanic women accounted over 77% of all new AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) infections in 1994 and 85% in 2004; this is 20 times more than white women. The question is how come these assimilating minority groups develop conditions that simply not exist in the culture of this dominant society, or at least not in that serious quantity. Or is that diseases originated from the white heritage and other ethnic groups are adapting them while assimilating to this dominant culture? I believe the spread of diseases is rather a question of social behavior, due to ether a lack of sexual education or simply irresponsible actions, than biological differences. “Living conditions are critically important to fueling the spread of disease, Adimora said. Communities influence, social networks, partner choice, likelihood of marriage, types of risk behavior, as well as the consequences of risk behaviors.” (p.2) In these lines and getting back to crime, I understand that certain social behaviors are very important in order to understand how come black women are more affected by sexual diseases than any other ethnic group. Factor #5 Drug abuse and criminal actions are closely linked to the increasing HIV cases. Heroin addicts are exposed to unsanitary needles which enhance the spread of AIDS through non sexual actions. Convicted African Americans that fill the prisons of the United States are exposed to homosexual interaction with very high HIV probabilities. Black women that stereotypically remain in their proverbial community are confronted with all these issues mentioned above and in previous factors. ”HIV infection among prison inmates is estimated to be eight to 10 times higher than tha...