Critical Media Health Literacy in Burma/Myanmar: A Case Study of High School Students

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dc.contributor.authorBeer, Christine M.
dc.contributor.supervisorBegoray, Deborah
dc.date.accessioned2014-05-07T21:17:35Z
dc.date.available2014-05-07T21:17:35Z
dc.date.copyright2014en_US
dc.date.issued2014-05-07
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Curriculum and Instruction
dc.degree.levelDoctor of Philosophy Ph.D.en_US
dc.description.abstractCurrent health literacy research is reconceptualizing health literacy and social learning. Theorists are situating health literacy in the contexts of digital media and critical sociocultural theories (e.g., Wharf Higgins & Begoray, 2012), based on the proposition that literacy is a complex and layered human involvement in socio-political contexts (e.g., Gee, 2000; Lankshear & Knobel, 2011; Levin-Zamir, Lemish, & Gofin, 2011; Nahachewsky & Ward, 2007). Research with adolescents in various contexts around the world has indicated that an empowerment approach to literacy education is effective for health literacy interventions (King, 2007). This study responds to the need to design and facilitate high school curriculum to empower adolescents to develop health literacy, and the study responds to the research participants’ choice of mental health as the topic of an interdisciplinary curriculum. Situated in the traditions of qualitative case study research methods, and positioned to engage the online social media contexts in which adolescents participate, this study explored how Critical Media Health Literacy (Wharf Higgins & Begoray, 2012) is expressed by a particular group of Burmese adolescents. The data reveal how the theoretical concept of Critical Media Health Literacy, when operationalized as a unit of analysis for the case study and a theoretical framework for the data collection methods of the case study, can be facilitated in a way that engages the research participants in specific skills’ practice and in cognitive, emotional reflection on their own health and literacies capacities. Data collection methods involved face-to- face interviews, online social media blogs, web page designs, and face-to-face group discussions. The analysis found optimism, anxiety, and taking action were major themes shaping the conditions for the adolescents’ development of health literacy, showing health literacy to be integral with media literacy and critical capacities, and indicating the concept of Critical Media Health Literacy has relevance for curriculum that engages adolescents who are situated in Burma/Myanmar to take action to improve the health of themselves and others in their social contexts. The findings indicate that this population and the applicability of Critical Media Health Literacy for high school curriculum in this setting requires further exploration to understand why social determinants of health are perceived as inevitable, how social pressures related to health are negotiated, and how digital structures influence the criticality of literacies of adolescents in Burma/Myanmar. Theoretical frameworks for further research are proposed for an exploration of the systems of relations in socio- political and economic contexts that influence the development and enactment of Critical Media Health Literacy and health promoting performances of adolescents in Burma/Myanmar.en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0998en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0573en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0708en_US
dc.description.proquestemailbeercm@gmail.comen_US
dc.description.scholarlevelGraduateen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/5370
dc.languageEnglisheng
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.rights.tempAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.subjectCritical Media Health Literacyen_US
dc.subjectDigital Literacyen_US
dc.subjectHealth Promotionen_US
dc.subjectInterdisciplinary Curriculumen_US
dc.subjectEducational Philosophyen_US
dc.subjectHigh Schoolen_US
dc.subjectSecondary Schoolen_US
dc.subjectBurmaen_US
dc.subjectMyanmaren_US
dc.subjectDemocratic Citizenshipen_US
dc.subjectMental Healthen_US
dc.subjectEmpowerment Curriculumen_US
dc.subjectSocial Mediaen_US
dc.titleCritical Media Health Literacy in Burma/Myanmar: A Case Study of High School Studentsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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