Du Plessis, GretchenBezuidenhout, Frans2017-08-222017-08-222009Du Plessis, G., & Bezuidenhout, F. (2009). Capital, habitus and symbolic violence in the field of reproductive rights: women and HIV. Acta Academica, 41(2), 132-157.0587-2405 (print)2415-0479 (online)http://hdl.handle.net/11660/6625English: Critical ethnographic research methods are used in this article to suggest that the concepts of capital, field, habitus and symbolic violence as conceptualised by Bourdieu offer powerful ways to understand the experiences of HIV-positive women dependent on public health-care facilities in Gauteng, South Africa. It is shown that power relations, yielded by biomedical hegemony, androcentric sociocultural practices, material deprivation, fear, discrimination and stigma demarcate the experiences of women living with HIV, and potentially undermine their abilities to become empowered.Afrikaans: Hierdie artikel gebruik kritiese etnografiese navorsingsmetodes om te suggereer dat die begrippe kapitaal, veld, habitus en simboliese geweld soos dit deur Bourdieu gekonseptualiseer is, op kragtige wyse begrip toelaat vir die ervarings van MIVpositiewe vroue wat afhanklik is van die dienste van openbare gesondheidsorgfasiliteite in Gauteng, Suid-Afrika. Dit blyk dat magsverhoudings soos voortgebring deur biomediese hegemonie, androsentriese sosiokulturele praktyke, materiële deprivasie, vrees, diskriminasie en stigma die ervarings van vroue met MIV kontoer en dat dit ook hulle vermoëns om bemagtig te raak, ondermyn.enHIV positive womenHealth-care facilitiesReproductive rightsReproductive healthArticleUniversity of the Free State