| Popis: |
Examining risk communication in public health through a rhetorical-cultural lens, this dissertation reveals the implications of risk messages in terms of how a specific risk is perceived, and how those at risk are perceived. This approach further shows how that perception shapes, and sometimes inhibits, cultural engagement, access to health care, and acknowledgement of personal agency and worth. Specifically examining discourse surrounding the US debate over access to and support of sterile syringe programs, this research demonstrates the subjective nature of risk definitions and the hegemonic structures that prioritize certain definitions over others and how dominant, culturally accepted risk messages can be challenged and re-formed. |
