A "What Matters Most" approach to investigating intersectional stigma toward HIV and cancer in Hanoi, Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Vietnam is experiencing a growing burden of cancer, including among people living with HIV. Stigma acts as a sociocultural barrier to the prevention and treatment of both conditions. This study investigates how cultural notions of "respected personhood" (or "what matters most") influence manifestations of HIV-related stigma and cancer stigma in Hanoi, Vietnam. METHODS: Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted with people living with HIV in Hanoi, Vietnam. Transcripts were thematically coded via a directed content analysis using the What Matters Most conceptual framework. Coding was done individually and discussed in pairs, and any discrepancies were reconciled in full-team meetings. RESULTS: Analyses elucidated that having chu tín-a value reflecting social involvement, conscientiousness, and trustworthiness-and being successful (eg, in career, academics, or one's personal life) are characteristics of respected people in this local cultural context. Living with HIV and having cancer were seen as stigmatized and interfering with these values and capabilities. Intersectional stigma toward having both conditions was seen to interplay with these values in some ways that had distinctions compared with stigma toward either condition alone. Participants also articulated how cultural values like chu tín are broadly protective against stigmatization and how getting treatment and maintaining employment can help individuals resist stigmatization's most acute impacts. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-related and cancer stigma each interfere with important cultural values and capabilities in Vietnam. Understanding these cultural manifestations of these stigmas separately and intersectionally can allow for greater ability to measure and respond to these stigmas through culturally tailored intervention.

Contextualizing Positionality, Intersectionality, and Intelligence in the Anthropocene.

The geological epoch of the Anthropocene has challenged traditional definitions of what intellectual abilities are necessary to creatively problem-solve, understand, and address contemporary societal and environmental crises. If we hope to make meaningful changes to how our society addresses these complex issues and pave the way for a better future for generations to come, we must advance traditional theories and measures of higher-order abilities to reflect equity and inclusion. To this end, we must address global issues by integrating the complexities of intersectional identities as they impact our understanding of what constitutes intelligence in individuals, groups, and diverse communities. This re-envisioning of intelligence presents new complexities for understanding and challenges for our field beyond the boundaries of what has been previously touted by many disciplines, including psychology. It is an opportunity to re-envision what it means to be intelligent in a diverse global context while also honoring and recognizing the value of difference, positionality, and other ways of knowing.