The meanings of health and disease are shaped not only by scientific and medical discourses, but by media, communication, and the cultures of health. This course examines how medical environments are understood and experienced, popular tactics for communicating and contesting biomedical information, the utilization of the media and communication strategies to combat diseases and promote health, and the impact of media representation and popular culture on understandings of disease and health. Readings will be drawn from a variety of genres, including epidemiology, public health, anthropology, social studies and communication studies.
By the end of the course, students will be able to gain an understanding of health communication, its different formats, application and importance, describe the manner in which different disease categories imply different social causes and consequences, examine the personal experience of disease in relation to medical care, risk, and scientific change, compare different media strategies for popularization, advocacy, and intervention in relation to public health and explain the application of communication strategies for development and empowerment among marginalized population groups.