Critical Health Communication Methods: Challenges in Researching Transformative Social Change

Heather M Zoller

doi:10.3389/fcomm.2019.00041

Abstract

This reflexive essay describes how methodological choices involved with critical commitments to understanding the economic and political roots of health status lead to challenges in the field that intersect with the politics of academic training, visibility, and publishing. Through the lens of my own research experiences, I discuss lessons learned as well as ways that I continue to struggle. I consider issues that are primarily personal and those that we should address as a field. In the essay, I describe six observations from my experiences researching transformative social change that have implications for critical health communication scholars and the discipline of health communication.

Highlights

This reflexive essay describes how methodological choices involved with critical commitments to understanding the economic and political roots of health status lead to challenges in the field that intersect with the politics of academic training, visibility, and publishing
I wondered how having a Ph.D. in organizational and health communication led me to participate in a march with global trade justice protesters in downtown Cincinnati, wearing an orange arm band that indicated that I was a marshal—keeping folks in line with the parade parameters we had negotiated with the police—all while carrying a notebook instead of a protest sign
I was angry that he only showed up at the event, vs. at any of the previous planning, ready to criticize those who had put in the time to organize the event. To this day I wish I had yelled, “Should have been at the meeting!” I deal with this frustration again when community members earnestly offer multiple ideas for how Apple Street Market should raise funds or ask why we are not engaging in any number of fundraising initiatives without volunteering to help with those activities

Summary

HEALTH COMMUNICATION AND TRANSFORMATIVE SOCIAL CHANGE

I can explain quite rationally how I became involved in these projects. I was angry that he only showed up at the event, vs at any of the previous planning, ready to criticize those who had put in the time to organize the event To this day I wish I had yelled, “Should have been at the meeting!” I deal with this frustration again when community members earnestly offer multiple ideas for how Apple Street Market should raise funds or ask why we are not engaging in any number of fundraising initiatives without volunteering to help with those activities. In this case, I have to smile and thank people for their ideas (and ask if they will donate their time) because losing patience would damage the effort. Experiential learning with transformative social organizing would better prepare future critical researchers for these everyday challenges (Artz, 2001)

Facing Material Risks and Dangers

CONCLUSION