Donal Carbaugh Elena Nuciforo University of Massachusetts Amherst

Communication As a scientific discipline Linguistics plus multiple channels Community-based Research As Formative of Nature, Society, Community Edward Sapir Science is itself a Communication System Vocabulary, beliefs, values As an approach to Health What is a disease? How is it to be treated? What are risky/healthy behavior practices? How are they expressed and interpreted?

Perspective: Cultural Discourse Cultural Discourse Analysis unveils deep codes in Action Code = Cultural Terms + Local Practices + Rules Formative of several inter-related factors: Integrative theory, methodology (e.g., security, health, environment; identify gaps between and link groups) Cultural Discourses must be (in each case): Discovered, Described, Interpreted Scientific/Agency Discourse is itself a Cultural Discourse Carbaugh, 1988, 2007, 2009; Philipsen 1997 Strategic ActionIdentity FeelingDwelling/Place Cultural Discourse

Procedure: CuDA Analysis Discourses = identify strategic actions, identities, places Diagnose Gaps: between humanitarian workers and local farmers, between agencies, scientists and communities What to do? Design Process, “Just listen” Methodology: Cultural Research; Language Research Research Team: Director, Field Specialists, Field “Experts” (local team members); Multiple flows of expertise Multiple Data Points: Observations; Intensive Interviewing; Cultural coding; Identify Comm. Codes Produces: Map of local discursive terrain from participants’ view; Bases for Designing best actions

Investigative Cycle: Inter-Discourse Gaps & Bridges 4) Designing Action 1) Agency Discourse 1 2) Field Site: Discourse 2 3) Alignments, Gaps

5 Phases of Analysis: For Each Discourse FocusDescriptive InterpretiveComparativeCritical Carbaugh 1996, 2005, 2007; Carbaugh and Hastings 1992

Project: Security ( ) Dr. Derek Miller, Lisa Rudnick, Project Managers United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (Geneva) DC: Research Advisory Group Member, Research Support Director (Nepal) SNAP: Security Needs Assessment Protocol Ghana, post-conflict situation Dagbani terms: “security”? Working with “small mouth and big ears”: Prof Yankah,Thanks Integrates: Policy, Cultural Research, Design (Glen Cove) SNAP Report (Miller and Rudnick)

Alcohol Consumption in Russia Meeting in Sochi (August 12, 2009),President Medvedev: “And our current demographic problems mostly are connected to alcohol consumption. As we understand it, alcoholism leads to incurable diseases, such as cardio-vascular pathologies, suicides, committing serious crimes, and just everyday injuries - they happen a lot, and I think that about 80 percent of these happen under the influence of alcohol.”

Drinking Discourse – Policy and Folk (abnormal and stigmatized drinking) Key policy terms : alcoholism, alcoholization, drunkenness, the drunks Key folk terms: alcoholic, “he/she drinks,” “he/she drunk him/herself down,” drunkard Assumptions about identity – reckless, dependent, socially inept, egotistic; place/dwelling – unidentified, all over the place, street; social action – unstructured, erratic, focused on drinking as a priority before other cultural reasons, in need of external regulation; emotions/feelings – shameful, inconsiderate, pitiful, low.

Drinking Discourse (normal drinking) Describe and interpret drinking practices: “normal” drinking Ritualistic drinking – certain sequence of events that are structured to celebrate a sacred object of (a) event occasion; (b) bonding; (c) challenge to the surrounding environment external to the group Social drama – the flow of events is broken when somebody refuses to drink. Two outcomes (a) schism leading to rupture of social relations; (b) repairing the relationships, bringing them to another level Outcomes: learn about the value of drinking in various social environments; recommendations for developing communication/media products in strategic health communication

Investigative Cycle: Inter-Discourse Gaps & Bridges 4) Designing Action 1) Agency Discourse 1 2) Field Site: Discourse 2 3) Alignments, Gaps