Current Projects
Critical Reflection and New Models of Health Communication
Starting with the recognition that not all health communication efforts lead to the desired outcomes, I engage in a more critically reflective analysis of the actual communication process, using unexplored communicative and social interactive theories and discussions applicable to the communication of health
In this, I aim to provide ideas for a humanistic model of health communication – one that proposes a constructively critical paradigm and set of approaches to understanding health, its meanings, communication, and promotion – as well as its social, cultural, political, ethical, and spiritual dimensions and contexts. With this, we aspire to open up a more inclusive and integrated approach to the major challenges and opportunities in contemporary health, medicine, and wellbeing.
Health Promotion and Health Resistance
We are witnessing situations where public responses are adverse to what campaigners and policy makers had intended and expected. It is a phenomenon known as health resistance (Crossley, 2001). in Western culture and thought the second force is derived from a high value placed on the need for individuality, individual freedom and decision-making. Our ongoing empirical and theoretic efforts here try to gain a deeper understanding of the quality, types and confidence in resistant responses - and with it, provide a better creation of messages and campaigns.
The Central Role of the Humanities and the Arts in Public Health
Working largely through our research collaborative on health humanities in the Charles Perkins Centre, we are working off the premise that health (and the promotion of health) is integrally shaped by, and in turn, shaping, society and culture. Through papers, roundtables and other efforts, we aim to propose an innovative new approach that contributes a holistic, comprehensive, and integrated perspective to the major challenges and opportunities in contemporary health, medicine, wellbeing, and related science and technology.
Intersectoral Collaboration in Health Communication
Given the complexity of most health issues, intersectoral collaborative action would form a crucial linchpin to achieve the goals. Due to the different roles government bodies, non-government entities and professional organisations play, there is an apparent need not just for a partnership itself but for coordination of all activities. In order to avoid an uncoordinated cacophony of messages and deliver innovative and coordinated ideas for moving the population toward healthy lifestyles, our work here tries to first understand how specific ideas of prevention influence the communication practices by involved parties and what particular points of agreement and disagreement prevent more collaborative action.
If you have an interest in any of these projects and/or like to get involved, please contact me through this website.