Well, the reading tasks we've been assigned over the past couple weeks have been absolutely fascinating....Okay, so maybe not--but they have actually been very useful and quite applicable to some of the roadblocks that keep giving me trouble with my project.
So I'll begin by explaining some of my issues with my project. I think the two greatest problems I'm having are with choosing an appropriate audience and with establishing my authority for this audience. Recall, first, that one goal of my risk communication project is to solidify the risks of teen pregnancy for my audience. (They already know it's not a good thing, but I want to provide statistics and remind them just how bad of a problem it is. I'm considering this portion of my goal to be care communication.) My second goal is to provide suggestions for teen pregnancy prevention programs--either for implementing new ones or for reforming old ones. (I'm considering this portion of my ultimate goal to be consensus communication.) Because I really want to see changes made, I've chosen to focus my efforts on an audience who has the power to make them. That is, my intended audience includes educators in administrative positions, such as principals and school board members.
Maybe it's self-doubt, and maybe I'm just overthinking it, but some of the reading re-awakened concerns I've had with my audience. All the talk in "The Determinants of Trust and Credibility in Environmental Risk Communication" made me question--why on earth would school board members listen to me? If I were an expert doing the communicating (all of our reading seems to make this assumption, especially "A Diagnostic for Risk Communication Failure"), perhaps school board members would take the time to consider my arguments. But I'm an undergraduate, not an expert, and I'm outside of the system. I don't know how school board officials allocate money to different programs. Because teen pregnancy affects a minority of students, how am I to convince school board officials that it is important to redistribute funds? Should I instead focus on communicating to philanthropists or "angel" contributors (isn't that what people are called who just donate money for a cause without any apparent connection or reason?). Anyway, the point is that Trust and Credibility reading shook me and has made me worry about the effectiveness of my choice of audience.
For now, I'm going to lower my sights a little. Instead of hoping for actual reforms to take place, I'm going to retain my intended audience and instead focus more on creating awareness. With my non-expert status, I think I would be more successful focusing my efforts on the "care" portion of my goals. I will still include suggestions for reform, thus retaining the consensus portion of my goals, but I will expect less of the educators in terms of actual reform.
Lastly, although the piece in the Risk Communication text (Lundgren & McMakin, ch. 16) on working with the media has very little to do with my project *at this stage in the process*, I found this reading assignment to be quite educational. This class has largely taught us to take on the roles of risk communicators. In this position, I have always assumed my audience was some group out in the public that I was trying to reach out to. But this chapter reminded me that often a risk communicator's first audience (and first hurdle to get over) is the media. I'd forgotten that risk communication isn't always accomplished directly, communicator to intended audience, but quite often is accomplished via a third party. The media is the middleman. This drastically shifts some of the goals of risk communication, and adds plenty more to consider. I guess this will be the focus of our upcoming press release assignment.
24 October 2007
18 October 2007
"safe" sex or just safer sex?
Class last night got me thinking. It was probably just a result of listening to all these risk buzzwords and phrases, but the phrase "safe sex" got stuck in my head.
And I started wondering--is there really such a thing as safe sex? (i know that sounds very sex and the city, but read on--this actually has a lot to do with my project)
Sex that we (meaning society, I guess) consider safe is sex where STDs won't be spread and unwanted children won't be conceived. But consider other negative effects that even "safe" sex can have. I know this requires some assumptions. I'm assuming most people (though, I'll acknowledge, not everyone) attach some emotional significance to sex. And I'm further assuming that adolesence is a time when people are very if not most vulnerable (i'm sure more than would admit it--but again, not everyone).
I don't really consider myself socially conservative--I'm committed to the belief that everyone has to make their own decisions in life. But I do worry that, especially for teens, "safe" sex isn't safe enough. That's why a big component of my project, the teen pregnancy prevention reforms, suggests that teens could really use mentors, role models, or even just after-school programs that promote personal development.
The intention of mentors would be to give students some guidance. I guess I was hoping students could get to know young adults and ensure that they have good, responsible examples in front of them. (I suggested student teachers taking on a larger role in reaching out to students, because of their youth, their ability to connect to high schoolers, and their lack of authoritative presence.) And I think building teen's skill sets (learning an instrument, college test prep, have them serve the community in some way, playing club sports teams) will also help build teen's self-confidence. A higher self confidence translates to a higher degree of self awareness (knowing if they're emotionally ready). And anyway, it would give them something new to think about!
Just wanted to expand on that thought, and figured I'd record it here--sorry, Jamie, if this is too informal for our class.
And I started wondering--is there really such a thing as safe sex? (i know that sounds very sex and the city, but read on--this actually has a lot to do with my project)
Sex that we (meaning society, I guess) consider safe is sex where STDs won't be spread and unwanted children won't be conceived. But consider other negative effects that even "safe" sex can have. I know this requires some assumptions. I'm assuming most people (though, I'll acknowledge, not everyone) attach some emotional significance to sex. And I'm further assuming that adolesence is a time when people are very if not most vulnerable (i'm sure more than would admit it--but again, not everyone).
I don't really consider myself socially conservative--I'm committed to the belief that everyone has to make their own decisions in life. But I do worry that, especially for teens, "safe" sex isn't safe enough. That's why a big component of my project, the teen pregnancy prevention reforms, suggests that teens could really use mentors, role models, or even just after-school programs that promote personal development.
The intention of mentors would be to give students some guidance. I guess I was hoping students could get to know young adults and ensure that they have good, responsible examples in front of them. (I suggested student teachers taking on a larger role in reaching out to students, because of their youth, their ability to connect to high schoolers, and their lack of authoritative presence.) And I think building teen's skill sets (learning an instrument, college test prep, have them serve the community in some way, playing club sports teams) will also help build teen's self-confidence. A higher self confidence translates to a higher degree of self awareness (knowing if they're emotionally ready). And anyway, it would give them something new to think about!
Just wanted to expand on that thought, and figured I'd record it here--sorry, Jamie, if this is too informal for our class.
25 September 2007
Effective Communication
Everyone knows the rules--when you ride the bus, you have to ignore everyone else. If someone walks by, don't look at them. If someone farts, don't laugh. If they sit down next to you, just stare out the window. Above all, don't do anything to interfere with everyone else's ignoring. Don't bump into people, don't talk on your phone if you don't have to, and absolutely DO NOT talk to the person sitting next to you. Today I was riding the 54C from where I live to the Southside. I watched as a young woman struggled to board her stroller onto my bus, all the while trying to catch hold of the wrists of two toddlers that were with her. The process took over a minute, which, as you must know, is a severe breach of bus etiquette. I noticed the man in front of me check his watch. I also noticed the crowd of lunchtime hospital employees, students, and other Oakland regulars milling about outside, at the bus stop.
Fifth and Atwood is probably one of the most diverse stops in town, socioeconomically. Medical residents and homeless people share the bench, while middle class nurses and career dishwashers smoke their after- and before- work cigarettes. And there they all were this morning, chatting on their cell phones or staring lifelessly ahead, watching this young woman struggling.
Why did no one, out of all of us looking on, step up to give her a hand? Clearly, she could have used the help. We all either watched her shoving the stroller or we looked back down to the news we were reading, ignoring the situation entirely. Every one of us were either afraid to break the status quo (those sacred city rules of staring straight ahead) or else were far too wrapped up in our own issues to take much notice.
This is the kind of attention, the mix of hesitation and indifference, that is paid to teen pregnancy. Although the situation could easily be considered a crisis (billions of dollars lost to it, hundreds of thousands of girls being shortchanged and children being brought into disadvantaged homes), in the eyes of most people it's just an everyday problem. Any efforts to prevent teen pregnancy will require communicating the problem to an audience that can make a change. Effective communication dictates speaking to the audience from their perspective. When communicating the risks of teen pregnancy, "Crisis Communication" (as defined in Risk Communication) would be over-the-top dramatic. Because it's an everyday problem to most people, the authority of the communicator would be compromised--he or she would likely be laughed at! Teen pregnancy prevention communication falls most squarely into the "Care" and "Consensus" realms of risk communication. It's a subject that has been studied thoroughly, with volumes of information (just look here for an idea of just how much). Unfortunately, there is currently no clear-cut ensured method of prevention. For example, there are strong arguments both for and against abstinence-only sex education as well as for and against handing out contraceptives to teens. This kind of disagreement necessitates "Consensus Communication."
Fifth and Atwood is probably one of the most diverse stops in town, socioeconomically. Medical residents and homeless people share the bench, while middle class nurses and career dishwashers smoke their after- and before- work cigarettes. And there they all were this morning, chatting on their cell phones or staring lifelessly ahead, watching this young woman struggling.
Why did no one, out of all of us looking on, step up to give her a hand? Clearly, she could have used the help. We all either watched her shoving the stroller or we looked back down to the news we were reading, ignoring the situation entirely. Every one of us were either afraid to break the status quo (those sacred city rules of staring straight ahead) or else were far too wrapped up in our own issues to take much notice.
This is the kind of attention, the mix of hesitation and indifference, that is paid to teen pregnancy. Although the situation could easily be considered a crisis (billions of dollars lost to it, hundreds of thousands of girls being shortchanged and children being brought into disadvantaged homes), in the eyes of most people it's just an everyday problem. Any efforts to prevent teen pregnancy will require communicating the problem to an audience that can make a change. Effective communication dictates speaking to the audience from their perspective. When communicating the risks of teen pregnancy, "Crisis Communication" (as defined in Risk Communication) would be over-the-top dramatic. Because it's an everyday problem to most people, the authority of the communicator would be compromised--he or she would likely be laughed at! Teen pregnancy prevention communication falls most squarely into the "Care" and "Consensus" realms of risk communication. It's a subject that has been studied thoroughly, with volumes of information (just look here for an idea of just how much). Unfortunately, there is currently no clear-cut ensured method of prevention. For example, there are strong arguments both for and against abstinence-only sex education as well as for and against handing out contraceptives to teens. This kind of disagreement necessitates "Consensus Communication."
Teen Pregnancy: Defining the Problem
With three-quarters of a million cases each year in the United States alone, teenage pregnancy is truly an epidemic. That’s 750,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19, girls largely without any sufficient means of supporting themselves, let alone an infant. Teenage pregnancy not only leaves young girls and their children utterly hopeless, it also is a tremendous drain on local economies. Special health care, housing, and many other needs add up to an estimated $30,000 required of taxpayers for each baby born to a teenager. And, with an average of 15,000 teenage births each year in Pennsylvania, the burden is tremendous—$450 million per year!
Like an aging population or an occasional flooding, teenage pregnancy is an expected expense. It’s considered inevitable: as long as there are teenagers, there will be pregnant teenagers too. Despite the fact that Pennsylvania youth are well-educated on the consequences of sex—every student in public schools is required to attend a sex-education course—pregnancy rates have remained high over the last two decades. The fact is, the detriment is not so much a lack of knowledge as it is a lack of positive influences. Without role models to show them that pregnant teenagers are not the norm, the disadvantaged youth will never reach a higher standard.
Although we can’t change what these teens are exposed to everyday in their neighborhoods and on television, or what they hear from their cynical parents (anything from “You’ll never amount to anything” to “You’ll end up just like I did, pregnant at 17”) we can help them by exposing them to different viewpoints. Some kind of mentoring program—offered through school, community foundations (like Big Brother, Big Sister), or religious organizations—that infiltrates the lives of teenagers with positive role models and good influences is an option. Only by shooting for the roots of the problem, lack of knowledge and poor influences, can any effective change be made.
Like an aging population or an occasional flooding, teenage pregnancy is an expected expense. It’s considered inevitable: as long as there are teenagers, there will be pregnant teenagers too. Despite the fact that Pennsylvania youth are well-educated on the consequences of sex—every student in public schools is required to attend a sex-education course—pregnancy rates have remained high over the last two decades. The fact is, the detriment is not so much a lack of knowledge as it is a lack of positive influences. Without role models to show them that pregnant teenagers are not the norm, the disadvantaged youth will never reach a higher standard.
Although we can’t change what these teens are exposed to everyday in their neighborhoods and on television, or what they hear from their cynical parents (anything from “You’ll never amount to anything” to “You’ll end up just like I did, pregnant at 17”) we can help them by exposing them to different viewpoints. Some kind of mentoring program—offered through school, community foundations (like Big Brother, Big Sister), or religious organizations—that infiltrates the lives of teenagers with positive role models and good influences is an option. Only by shooting for the roots of the problem, lack of knowledge and poor influences, can any effective change be made.
tossing around ideas
Some problems are just going to be around forever. So long as there are new shoes, there will always be freshly discarded gum waiting in the parking lot. Difficult in-laws, teenage pregnancy, even bad hair the morning of class pictures (and don’t forget death and taxes)—they’re all inevitable, just part and parcel of life. Too often the inevitable is just given up as impossible; some problems are just too big, too inescapable to bother.
But before giving up, imagine you were in a terrible accident and you wake up in the hospital unable to feel anything below your waist. Horrified, you listen as the doctor tells you that you’ll likely never walk again. “There’s a small chance that, given some time and a series of operations, we might can help you. But there’s really not much we can do.” Do you think you’d concede: Since the odds are against improvement, why bother? Of course not! You’d rally with that ounce of hope and say You’d sure as hell better do everything you can!
Precisely because there’s something we can do—even if that something is so small it hardly makes an impact—we have to try. It’s true: as long as there are teenagers, there will be teenage pregnancy. Adolescence is an age when we believe we are immune to everything. Even kids in the worst situations harbor some small hope that they’ll be something different than their mom, their older sister, than everyone they know. But patterns are passed down through generations because we learn by imitating what we see. It is critical that young girls (and boys, too) have positive role models and good influences somewhere in their lives, in addition to proper sexual health education.
Although I’ve never been directly affected by this problem, several people in my life have been (and I would bet that several people in your life have been, too, whether you’re aware or not). I feel very strongly about the issue of teenage pregnancy and the heartbreak associated with it.
My interest in women’s health extends beyond preventative measures for teenage pregnancies into a number of other areas in obstetrics (that’s the field of medicine concerned with everything about pregnancy). Recent volunteer experience at the Midwife Center has raised my awareness about the practice of midwifery, and I am concerned that the general public has too little knowledge of this form of obstetrical care. Most people (including myself until recently) think of midwives as archaic, some background character in some old story from the middle ages. The fact is, midwives are very much present in today’s healthcare scene. They offer an alternative to typical hospital obstetrical care—a very welcome alternative. Most often, delivery in hospitals is a very impersonal way to bring your child into the world. Hospital care of obstetric patients centers on a single, ultimate goal—the good health of mother and child. Certainly, this should be expected, and is all many mothers-to-be would (think to) ask for. But what about the experience? The most meaningful moments in the lives of some women is in the birth of their children. (Certainly not to discount the meaning of women’s lives—there is far more to us than having babies. Just note that the experience of giving birth can be incredibly emotional and moving—and meaningful.) Even when they pose absolutely no risk, obstetricians grimace at the thought of giving in to a patient’s wishes if they’re unorthodox or not in line with hospital policy. Midwives, while also primarily concerned with the good health of mother and child, tend to be much more relaxed and open to a patient’s wishes. Experiences with midwives are described as more fulfilling and warmer—yet so few women are aware of their options for pregnancy care.
A third issue is somewhat involved with the previous one. Due to legislation, Certified Nurse-Midwives are still not allowed to write prescriptions for basic medicines. Although they have training equal to that of other practitioners that do write prescriptions, some stigma against midwives as being untrained semi-professionals remains. I think this issue ought to be broached, explored, and ultimately fairly resolved.
But before giving up, imagine you were in a terrible accident and you wake up in the hospital unable to feel anything below your waist. Horrified, you listen as the doctor tells you that you’ll likely never walk again. “There’s a small chance that, given some time and a series of operations, we might can help you. But there’s really not much we can do.” Do you think you’d concede: Since the odds are against improvement, why bother? Of course not! You’d rally with that ounce of hope and say You’d sure as hell better do everything you can!
Precisely because there’s something we can do—even if that something is so small it hardly makes an impact—we have to try. It’s true: as long as there are teenagers, there will be teenage pregnancy. Adolescence is an age when we believe we are immune to everything. Even kids in the worst situations harbor some small hope that they’ll be something different than their mom, their older sister, than everyone they know. But patterns are passed down through generations because we learn by imitating what we see. It is critical that young girls (and boys, too) have positive role models and good influences somewhere in their lives, in addition to proper sexual health education.
Although I’ve never been directly affected by this problem, several people in my life have been (and I would bet that several people in your life have been, too, whether you’re aware or not). I feel very strongly about the issue of teenage pregnancy and the heartbreak associated with it.
My interest in women’s health extends beyond preventative measures for teenage pregnancies into a number of other areas in obstetrics (that’s the field of medicine concerned with everything about pregnancy). Recent volunteer experience at the Midwife Center has raised my awareness about the practice of midwifery, and I am concerned that the general public has too little knowledge of this form of obstetrical care. Most people (including myself until recently) think of midwives as archaic, some background character in some old story from the middle ages. The fact is, midwives are very much present in today’s healthcare scene. They offer an alternative to typical hospital obstetrical care—a very welcome alternative. Most often, delivery in hospitals is a very impersonal way to bring your child into the world. Hospital care of obstetric patients centers on a single, ultimate goal—the good health of mother and child. Certainly, this should be expected, and is all many mothers-to-be would (think to) ask for. But what about the experience? The most meaningful moments in the lives of some women is in the birth of their children. (Certainly not to discount the meaning of women’s lives—there is far more to us than having babies. Just note that the experience of giving birth can be incredibly emotional and moving—and meaningful.) Even when they pose absolutely no risk, obstetricians grimace at the thought of giving in to a patient’s wishes if they’re unorthodox or not in line with hospital policy. Midwives, while also primarily concerned with the good health of mother and child, tend to be much more relaxed and open to a patient’s wishes. Experiences with midwives are described as more fulfilling and warmer—yet so few women are aware of their options for pregnancy care.
A third issue is somewhat involved with the previous one. Due to legislation, Certified Nurse-Midwives are still not allowed to write prescriptions for basic medicines. Although they have training equal to that of other practitioners that do write prescriptions, some stigma against midwives as being untrained semi-professionals remains. I think this issue ought to be broached, explored, and ultimately fairly resolved.
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