Health Communication in an Intercultural Perspective, 7.5 credits

Main field of study with advanced study

60 credits, including at least 30 credits in Media and Communications Studies. Exemption of the requirement in Swedish is granted. English 6.

The course is included in the programme Media and Communication Studies: Focus Health 180 credits and is also given as a single subject course.

The overall course objective is that the student acquires knowledge of the role of communication related to health issues, in preventions and in extraordinary circumstances, directed to different groups, in different cultural contexts and with a global perspective. Accordingly, the objective is that student acquires intercultural unerstanding in communicative perspectives. Another objective is that the student acquires knowledge of different health issues with concerns from both local and global perspectives.

Following successful completion of the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• present theories of intercultural communication
• identify health issues and risks of global and local context

Skills and ability

• discuss, oral and written, different health issues and how they may be communicated in an intercultural context
• apply a specific health issue in a professional communicative context

Judgement and approach

• Critically value the importance of how health issues are communicated in different groups and in different contexts
• Critically reflect on the importance of intercultural communication.

This course has its focus on health issues from the needs of communication in different groups and contexts, in local and global settings. Health issues are defined both from preventive circumstances and from extraordinary events where disitinctive needs of communications occur. To gain a deeper knowledge of how these issues may be communicated, the course also includes aspects of the implications and importance of intercultural communication. The course contains lectures exemplifying specific health issues that are relevant globally and locally. The role of media in mediating health issues and how they are communicated is a part of the course content. The course also includes parts for practice how to communicate specific health issues in a professional way.

The teaching consists of lectures, seminars, group exercises, and an internet-based platform for communication and teaching.

The examination consists partly of an individual written classroom exam, partly of tasks presented orally at seminars with mandatory participation.

If there are special reasons, the examiner may make exceptions from the specified examination format and allow a student to be examined in another way. Special reasons can e.g. be study support for students with disabilities.

Course evaluation is part of the course. This evaluation offers guidance in the future development and planning of the course. Course evaluation is documented and made available to the students.