Discourse Analysis in Healthcare Sector

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:7.00

Study Course Accepted:02.02.2024 12:25:31

Study Course Information
Course Code:		KSK_227		LQF level:		Level 7
Credit Points:		2.00		ECTS:		3.00
Branch of Science:		Communication Sciences; Library Science		Target Audience:		Information and Communication Science
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Sergejs Kruks
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		6	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		12
Classes (count)		4	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		8
Total Contact Hours								20
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Not required.
Objective:
Acquaint postgraduate students with the concept of discourse, its development, types, methods of analysis; connection with different types of communication in health care and their interactions; medicine – discursive practice; medical discourse – interdisciplinary discourse; enhance understanding of these processes in today’s public space. Why here? Why now? Why so? The historical and social context of medical discourse, its role; to acquaint postgraduate students with basic principles of constructing a narrative (also story telling) in general and in the healthcare sector discourse in particular; doctor-patient communication models, communication axioms; acquaint postgraduate students with elements of such discourse formation, including structural ones; acquaint postgraduate students with the manifestations of the medical discourse community; introduce discourse elements of drama and methods of argumentation and rhetoric.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	The concept of discourse in contemporary communication theories. Do classical models work in healthcare communication and how?			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
2	The concept of medical discourse/communication. Its multidisciplinary aspect.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
3	Synergy elements in the medical discourse. Factors affecting it.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
4	The role of meaning and metaphors in the medical discourse.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
5	The future of the healthcare discourse.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
6	Analysis of specific cases using the acquired theoretical knowledge.			Classes		4.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
In their independent work, students have to demonstrate their ability to summarise theoretical knowledge and apply it for analysis of specific cases. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal.
Assessment Criteria:
Lecture attendance: 20%; participation in the seminar: 30%; independent work: 50%. Summaries for the seminar on the topics covered during the course; the end-of-course work; examination.
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam (Written)
Final Examination (Part-Time):
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		Knowledge of approaches and methods by different discourse authors, understanding of the concept of discourse and its development. Knowledge of the healthcare discourse community and its characterisation, communication barriers. Understanding of various types of argumentation and rhetoric, the ability to identify and distinguish them.
Skills:		Apply the health discourse in the health sector communication – overcoming communication barriers. Analyse types and contexts of the discourse, identify the conditions that influence their formation and interpret the discourses available in the public space. Apply discourse analysis in research work.
Competencies:		Use health discourse in the research and analysis of health communication issues, applying appropriate methods of argumentation, rhetoric and overcoming communication barriers; analyse, evaluate, and critically argue and discuss the discourses available in the public space.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Wilce, J. M. (2009). Medical discourse. Annual Review of Anthropology, 38, 199-215.Fairclough, N. "Analysing discourse", Textual analysis for social research, Routledge, 2008.
2	Buckman, R. (2010). Practical plans for difficult conversations in medicine. Strategies that work in breaking bad news. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
3	Gee, J.P. (2008). "An introduction to discourse analysis, theory and method. 2nd ed. Routledge.
4	Habermas, J. (1984). "Theory of communicative action". Vol.1, Heinemann.
5	Gee, J.P. (2011). "An introduction to discourse analysis". 3rd ed., Routledge.
6	Waitzkin H. (1989). A Critical Theory of Medical Discourse; Ideology, Social Control and Processing of Social Control in Medical Encounters. In: Journal of Health and Social Behavior, vo. 30 pp. 220.-239.
7	Singleton, K., Krause, E. (Sept. 30, 2009). "Understanding Cultural and Linguistic Barriers to Health Literacy". OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. 14, No. 3, Manuscript 4.
Additional Reading
1	Teun A.van Dijk. (2003). "Critical Discourse analysis". In: "The Handbook of Discourse analysis". Ed. By D. Schiffrin, D. Tannen and H.E. Hamilton. Blackwell publishing, pp.352-371.
2	Jahn, M. (2005). Narratology: a guide to the theory of narrative. English Department, University of Cologne.
3	Cotter, C. (2003). "Discourse and Media". In:"The Handbook of Discourse analysis". Ed. By D. Schiffrin, D. Tannen and H.E. Hamilton. Blackwell publishing, pp. 416 – 436.
4	Scollon & S.W. Scollon. (2003). "Discourse an Intercultural communication". In: The Handbook of Discourse analysis. Ed. By D.Schiffrin, D. Tannen and H.E. Hamilton. Blackwell publishing, pp.538 -547.
5	Buckman, R. (2010). Practical plans for difficult conversations in medicine. Strategies that work in breaking bad news. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.