Culture: Epistemology & Ontology

    

    The important role of culture has attracted increasing attention as a factor influencing healthcare and health communication, as well as a consideration of developing effective health communication programs and intervention (Airhihenbuwa, 1995). So what is culture? Why does it matter in health communication? I can’t agree more with the point argued by Bauman (1999) that culture is a set of things that people keep in mind guiding their perceiving and interpreting events, the world, and themselves, in order to act in a way acceptable to the members in the same group. Culture is mirrored in a group’s norms, values, beliefs, and patterns of communication. For instance, cultural groups have their unique ways to overcome challenges, according to their shared values and norms, such as would be the case if a cultural group uses traditional practice to promote a certain disease. Thus consonance between health care intervention and the cultural traits of target group increases acceptance of health programs. That’s why health intervention and programs aim to be culturally sensitive and meet cultural groups’ psychosocial needs.

    The culture-centered approach introduced in Dutta’s book Communicating health (2008) deepened my understanding of health and health communication that are constrained and developed within cultural contexts and values. The contexts of culture endow health communication with health meanings of how group members interpret and understand health and illness. These meanings may enable or limit their health behaviors. For example, alterations to the genitals of male and female are defined differently (Darby, 2004). Female genital alteration (FGA) is considered as a harmful surgery to female, which damages their integrity. On the other hand, male genital alterations (MGA) are called circumcision, which seems to be less serious. In this way, male genital mutilation is always ignored whereas female genital mutilation is recognized. The distinct definitions raise some questions in my mind. Whether these meanings of genital alteration are associated with sexual function in society? Is circumcision is discriminatory? What is the standard? Are there double standards? I think there are. They are probably caused by the potential medical and physical benefits of MGA as Darby claimed. However, these “benefits” also could be the products of cultural norms. A cultural group dedicates to seeking evidence proving their customs are reasonable, in order to be accepted by the members. Moreover, a cultural practice may be viewed as a violation of human rights in other culture’s perspective.

    Therefore, the study of culture is essential in understanding health communication. As the culture-centered approach (CCA) proposed, there are also three key concepts upholding the construction of culture: structure, culture, and agency. These concepts and their interplay remind me that the voice of marginalized groups is mute. They have difficulty to access services, lack capacity to engage in health behavior. As a researcher, what I am intended to do is to understand their culture contexts, address the structures that constrain their behaviors, and enable cultural members to perform beneficial health related actions. The epistemology and ontology of culture is the first lesson, the first entrance, and the first illumination on the long way.