This article questions why a somewhat singular focus on orphanhood in the context of AIDS persists despite important shifts to more inclusive terminology of ‘orphans and vulnerable children’. Analysis of data from South Africa raises questions about the ‘spin’ placed on ‘orphanhood’ and its perceived consequences for children. Local notions of vulnerability and of orphanhood are examined, and their mismatch with international policy definitions noted. The article illustrates how the global focus on orphans consolidates stereotypes of children's experiences, and moderates local applications of the term. It concludes by arguing that the global preoccupation with orphans and their rights as children ‘in need of special protection’ is shifting the terrain of orphanhood at a local level in South Africa, and producing new struggles on the ground. The article argues for careful attention to be paid to conceptual and representational issues by those writing about and responding to childhoods in the context of AIDS.
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