A Methodology for Building Culture into Intervention: An Example from Mumbai, India

Rajendra Singh, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Kostick Kristin, University of Connecticut
Stephen L. Schensul, University of Connecticut
Ravi K. Verma, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Prakash Mishra, Institute for Research in Medical Statistics (ICMR), India
Pertti Pelto, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)

The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology for developing a culturally based measure to examine gender norms in a multilevel research, intervention and evaluation project designed to reduce the risk of husband to wife transmission of HIV/STI in an urban poor population in Mumbai, India. Gender norms are defined as expectations and prescriptions for behavior associated with cultural values, beliefs, and motivations. The study was conducted with a stratified random community sample of Muslim religious leaders (Imams, n =48; Aalimas, n = 19), NGO staff (n = 101), a women’s clinic population (n = 345), and the general community (n = 601). A 29-item structured norms survey was developed based on formative ethnographic data from the same population. Data on Likert scale have analyzed using multiple leaner regression models. Findings indicated significant intercultural variations, with religious leaders and the general community endorsing more conservative views, NGO employees endorsing more egalitarian views about gender roles