Rethinking Culture in Health Communication: Social Interactions as Intercultural Encounters

Rethinking Culture in Health Communication provides an interdisciplinary overview of health communication using a cultural lens, focusing on social interactions in health contexts. It explores how culture influences healthcare processes, introduces new approaches to understanding social relationships, and develops an awareness of how all individuals and groups are shaped by culture. The textbook integrates theories and practices in health communication, public health, and medicine to help students relate fundamental concepts to their personal experiences. It features examples of how culture can create challenges in access, process, and outcomes of healthcare services and illustrates how cultural perspectives can shape theoretical concepts in caregiver-patient communication, provider-patient interactions, social policies, public health interventions, and other real-life settings.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 464 pages
Publication date: 08 March 2021
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc

Rethinking Culture in Health Communication is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of health communication, focusing specifically on the role of culture in shaping social interactions within health contexts. This textbook delves into the intricate interplay between patients, healthcare professionals, and policymakers, highlighting the profound impact of cultural constructs on healthcare processes.

Understanding culture's influence on healthcare requires a fresh perspective, and this textbook offers just that. By employing a cultural lens, it sheds light on the complex web of social relationships and health policies, recognizing them as dynamic processes shaped by cultural values, expectations, motivations, and behavioral patterns. This innovative approach empowers students to connect fundamental concepts to their personal experiences, fostering a deeper understanding of how culture shapes individuals and groups.

The authors of this textbook have developed a foundational framework that categorizes cultures from four distinct perspectives: Magic Consciousness, Mythic Connection, Perspectival Thinking, and Integral Fusion. This framework serves as a valuable tool for examining existing theories, social norms, and clinical practices within health-related contexts. Through detailed yet accessible chapters, the text explores a wide range of topics, including culture and health behaviors, interpersonal communication, minority health and healthcare delivery, cultural consciousness, social interactions, sociopolitical structure, and more.

Examples and scenarios are provided throughout the text to illustrate how culture can create challenges in access, processes, and outcomes of healthcare services. It also highlights situations where individuals and institutions hold different or incompatible ethical views, emphasizing the importance of cultural sensitivity and understanding in healthcare delivery. Furthermore, the text showcases how cultural perspectives can shape the theoretical concepts emerging in caregiver-patient communication, provider-patient interactions, social policies, public health interventions, and other areas of health communication.

By incorporating a cultural lens into health communication, this textbook provides students with a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics between culture, health, and society. It equips them with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the complexities of healthcare delivery, promote cultural sensitivity, and advocate for equitable and inclusive healthcare practices. Rethinking Culture in Health Communication is a valuable resource for students, healthcare professionals, and policymakers alike, as it promotes a deeper appreciation of the role of culture in shaping health outcomes and encourages a more inclusive and patient-centered approach to healthcare.

Weight: 884g
Dimension: 180 x 253 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781119496168