Table 3.

Four main themes, subthemes and representative quotes

Interpersonal Processes*
Social cohesion	“I like the ability that we have to work on various problems in the community. I like the cohesiveness that exists among our community… Wanting to make sure that what I do is in the best interest of everybody in the community.”
	–AA female KI
Social tensions	“We are so in that ‘crab attitude’. We’re so scared one will get higher than the other that instead of trying to take both of them and move up, we’d rather pull somebody down instead of try to lift them up.”
	–AA adult male FG
HIV-related stigma	“Everybody is so secretive about it. [HIV] is like a disease that you don't want to talk about. It’s a disease that you don't want in your neighborhood.”
	–AA female KI
	People don’t know about HIV and the people don’t want to talk about it… it’s a fear of stigma for one of the reasons that stand in the way for HIV AIDS.
	–AA adult female FG
Community Structural Forces
Availability of resources	“If I don’t have a job to go to and I’m sitting around all day, the only thing that I’m thinking about doing is something to make me feel better. I’m going to get high or I’m gonna have sex.”
	–AA adult male FG
	“[County Name] is one of the poorest counties… having one of the highest… AIDS rates and highest drugs and alcohol activity it makes you wonder why… It’s not that we don't have jobs, we don't have resources. Folk are depressed and oppressed and, and therefore we’re turning to other things…“
	–AA male KI
Accessibility of resources	“A lot of people have a hard time getting to different functions and community things because they don’t have transportation or a way to get there…”
	–AA youth/young adult female FG
	“Most men that could be role models are either working and do not have that time, accessibility to come out and be role models for the children. And those that do, the few that has the ability to do that are overworked…”
	–AA male KI
Segregation, political forces and institutional racism	“We still have some racial tension here in this county… I think a lot of it is in government, not so much the people in the community… Some of that carries over to the school where students sometimes are not treated fairly I think. Also it carries over to the job market where certain people of certain races may not be promoted in this county because of the close-mindedness.”
	–AA female KI
Social Disorder
“Either you don't have enough police presence there or if you do have the police presence there, you have a lot of community people who don’t trust them … And to me that, that prevents them [police and community members] from working together and trying to control the neighborhood.” –AA male KI
Civic Engagement
“When a person is more involved in their church, they have often times a greater sense of purpose and they have a support network that helps with their mental health and helps with so many other things.” –White male KI “I'm not sure that there is a support network through the churches because… I think that religion… often times people who are in that ‘at risk’ category for HIV AIDS are probably not viewed positively in a religious setting…” –White female KI