COMM 8112 - Health Communication and Social Change

3 cr.

Applied communication scholars have contributed substantially to the study of communication practices of groups, organizations and communities working towards social change, including studies of public health campaigns and activism. Given the current changes in the social, political, and economic contexts in which health care is delivered, public health practitioners must learn to develop effective campaigns to promote change in attitudes and/or behaviors, to improve social and economic conditions, to advance social policies, and to secure necessary resources. This course will explore the theories and methods that inform various social change strategies, activist projects and campaigns, along with specific examples of communication strategies used in planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health campaigns and initiatives.