Communication Aspects in Health Care Work in Nepal

Authors

  • Marit Bakke Professor Emeritus from the University of Bergen, Norway
  • Madhusudan Subedi Central Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Tribhuvan University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v2i0.1358

Keywords:

Health Communication, Communication theory, Cultural Preconditions, Cultural Strategy, Social Development

Abstract

The aim of this article is to describe the communication aspects in health care work in Nepal. It begins with the idea that communication is important in social development and covers some facts about health conditions and health services in Nepal. It gives a brief introduction to different development paradigms as well as an assessment of their relevance for social change and some basic principles in communication theory. The article then describes communication strategies in which people get a chance to express cultural beliefs with respect to health and treatment practices, and how this knowledge can be applied to facilitate increased use of health services. Cultural conceptions play a crucial role in successful health communication. The article gives one illustration of this by presenting the terms used by mothers in five different ethnic groups in Nepal to describe acute respiratory infections (ARI) and illnesses among children. Implications for health communication are presented at the end of this article.

Key Words: Health Communication, Communication theory, Cultural Preconditions, Cultural Strategy, Social Development

DOI = 10.3126/dsaj.v2i0.1358

Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Vol.2 pp.65-100

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Author Biographies

Marit Bakke, Professor Emeritus from the University of Bergen, Norway

Bakke, Marit is Professor Emeritus from the University of Bergen, Norway. After obtaining her MA degree in Sociology from the University of Oslo she has been teaching and doing research for about 30 years at universities in Norway, Denmark and the United States. Her Research interest has been Comparative Cultural Policy, and Communication Aspects in Social Development, particularly with respect to Health Communication. Both themes have been researched in Nepal.
E-mail: marit.bakke@infomedia.uib.no

Madhusudan Subedi, Central Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Tribhuvan University

Subedi, Madhusudan has been teaching at the Central Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Tribhuvan University for last 12 years. He holds an M.A. in Sociology from Tribhuvan University (1992) and M.Phil. in Social Anthropology from University of Bergen, Norway. He has published a book Medical Anthropology of Nepal (2001) and has published academic articles in different academic journals. His areas of interest are Social Medicine, Pharmaceutical Anthropology, Indigenous Knowledge, Conflict and Sustainable Development.
E-mail: madhusudansubedi@gmail.com

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How to Cite

Bakke, M., & Subedi, M. (2008). Communication Aspects in Health Care Work in Nepal. Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 2, 65–100. https://doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v2i0.1358

Issue

Vol. 2 (2008)

Section

Articles