Health Communication: Principles, Perspectives, and Possibilities

Health Communication: Principles, Perspectives, and Possibilities offers a comprehensive introduction to the field of health communication that both students and instructors will enjoy. Each chapter seamlessly blends theoretical foundations of the field with current and emerging research findings, as well as diverse real-world examples of health communication in action. The book includes chapters on topics not often found in introductory textbooks for this course such as embodiment, wicked problems, and socially engaged communication. It also contains full chapters on timely issues like social media and misinformation. It weaves together social scientific, critical, interpretive, and rhetorical approaches to health communication scholarship with a sustained focus on amplifying the work of emerging scholars and those from traditionally marginalized groups. The textbook provides the broadest possible understanding of the dynamic field of health communication without losing focus on the fundamental theoretical frameworks that position communication as crucial to our health experiences and outcomes. Each chapter follows a consistent pedagogical structure: Focus (three main ideas of the chapter), Check In (comprehension questions), Branch Out (applied learning activity), and Dig Deep (in-depth discussion or essay questions), so that readers can easily orient themselves to the content and learning process. Readers can also connect with the content through textboxes that prompt reflection (What Do You Think? boxes) or deeper understanding of a specific topic or study (A Closer Look boxes).