Public
Understanding of Expert Views on Health Risks in Malaysia and Sweden
The SSKKII (SCCIIL) Interdisciplinary Center at the University of Gothenburg and the Research Cluster for Humanities and Ethics, University of Malaya have just signed a MoU with the goal of initiating cooperation in research on “Communication and culture in the areas of health, environment and political debate”, especially focusing on interdisciplinary research.
The research area has two important subareas: 1) Communication in different cultures and 2) Communication in different social activities. Both are important for the development of societies both on a collective and individual level and for the increase of intercultural interactions.
The research of this project explores issues concerned with public understanding of technical information in the field of health studies, which is expressed by experts in written or spoken form.
The SSKKII (SCCIIL) Interdisciplinary Center at the University of Gothenburg and the Research Cluster for Humanities and Ethics, University of Malaya have just signed a MoU with the goal of initiating cooperation in research on “Communication and culture in the areas of health, environment and political debate”, especially focusing on interdisciplinary research.
The research area has two important subareas: 1) Communication in different cultures and 2) Communication in different social activities. Both are important for the development of societies both on a collective and individual level and for the increase of intercultural interactions.
The research of this project explores issues concerned with public understanding of technical information in the field of health studies, which is expressed by experts in written or spoken form.
Both partners are interdisciplinary research centers and
have common interests, related to the problems and conditions involved in
interdisciplinary research. One
common interest is how terminology is used in research collaboration involving
several disciplines. Researchers from different disciplines often use the same
terms with different content or talk about the same content with different
terms. The problem of communication between disciplines is related to the
problem of communication between
experts and the public, which is the
chosen problem area of the project.
Special emphasis will be given to exploring the following topics:
- How does the general public appraise professional expertise and expert testimony provided in written documents?
- What are the roles of scientists and medical experts in disseminating information to non- expert people and what are the means by which they do so?
- What are the roles of the media in constructing public information on health issues?
- What are the pedagogies for developing critical thinking about controversial health issues?
- How are healthcare arguments transformed in the transition from the scientific to the public spheres?
- What are the problems and challenges that are inherent in the communication of health risks in Malaysia and in Swedish multicultural suburbs and how can these be mitigated?
Specification of activities - objectives for the three-year period:
- Research cooperation within the area of “Communication and culture in the areas of health, especially interdisciplinary research.”
- Mutual visits by 2-3 researchers in each direction per year
- One joint symposium per year (2013 in Malaysia, 2014 in Sweden, 2015 in Malaysia)
- Planning and application for funding of joint research project/(-s) in the agreed research area
- The publication of at least 2-4 joint scientific articles..
The studies in Malaysia and Sweden will be performed locally by each of the teams, reported in joint symposia/conferences and publications and used as a basis for comparative studies performed during mutual visits. The Swedish research team consists of: professor Jens Allwood (PL, PI), professor Elisabeth Ahlsén, Dr. Nataliya Berbyuk-Lindström, FM Pavel Rodin, FM Stefano Lanzini and Eva Frejemon. The Malaysian research team consists of professor Azirah Binti Hashim (PL, PI), professor. Maya David, Dr Mahmud Hasan Khan and Mr. Yee Chee Leong.
Special emphasis will be given to exploring the following topics:
- How does the general public appraise professional expertise and expert testimony provided in written documents?
- What are the roles of scientists and medical experts in disseminating information to non- expert people and what are the means by which they do so?
- What are the roles of the media in constructing public information on health issues?
- What are the pedagogies for developing critical thinking about controversial health issues?
- How are healthcare arguments transformed in the transition from the scientific to the public spheres?
- What are the problems and challenges that are inherent in the communication of health risks in Malaysia and in Swedish multicultural suburbs and how can these be mitigated?
Specification of activities - objectives for the three-year period:
- Research cooperation within the area of “Communication and culture in the areas of health, especially interdisciplinary research.”
- Mutual visits by 2-3 researchers in each direction per year
- One joint symposium per year (2013 in Malaysia, 2014 in Sweden, 2015 in Malaysia)
- Planning and application for funding of joint research project/(-s) in the agreed research area
- The publication of at least 2-4 joint scientific articles..
The studies in Malaysia and Sweden will be performed locally by each of the teams, reported in joint symposia/conferences and publications and used as a basis for comparative studies performed during mutual visits. The Swedish research team consists of: professor Jens Allwood (PL, PI), professor Elisabeth Ahlsén, Dr. Nataliya Berbyuk-Lindström, FM Pavel Rodin, FM Stefano Lanzini and Eva Frejemon. The Malaysian research team consists of professor Azirah Binti Hashim (PL, PI), professor. Maya David, Dr Mahmud Hasan Khan and Mr. Yee Chee Leong.