Beginning with a personal narrative that illustrates how the experience of living with a "hidden" disability creates multi-layered understandings of health and illness, this paper will focus on stories as the essential vehicle for communicating and interpreting meaning within health-related contexts and topics. Among the communicative functions we consider are: making sense of health issues and problems, especially among competing voices and perspectives; asserting control for individuals and families in the midst of physical and psychological losses; transforming identities, roles, and relationships as a result of altered health status; and making decisions about health behaviors and life choices. In this overview of how health is socially constructed and conveyed through stories that engage, model, and shape symbolic realities, we touch on the centrality of language and culture, the pervasiveness of popular media, and the expansiveness of health as an essential construct, encompassing clinical, preventive, and day-to-day discourse. ansforming identities, roles, and relationships as a result of altered health status; and making decisions about health behaviors and life choices.
Learning Objectives: Session participants will (1) be able to identify the roles of health communication in health promotion and disease prevention efforts, (2) understand the diverse array of areas of theory and research comprising the field, and the relevance to health communication practice, and (3) become familiar with two major organizations for professionals interested in health communication.
Keywords: Health Communications, Research Agenda
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.