Examining our ABC’s: Attention, blindspots and constructions in HIV and AIDS scholarship

Social constructions are realities created through shared understanding, interactions, and cultural norms that have serious implications in public administration – they influence how public policy is created and implemented. This research takes a reflexive approach to examining the social construction of demographics of HIV and AIDS research scholarship through a combination of attention and framing, as well as related blindspots or negative constructions. Findings demonstrate a broad inclusion of demographics with shifts in framing over time and in combination with intersectional identities. Understanding the social construction of demographics in the past will help illuminate (in)attentions, oversights, and potential unconscious biases as well as more efficient and effective ways to frame policy and implication debates.