Bettering the Medical Humanities through the Integration of Sociolinguistics: An Interdisciplinary Approach
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Advisor
Zachary Zerby
Access Type
Event
Start Date
26-4-2024 11:15 AM
End Date
26-4-2024 12:15 PM
Description
By recognizing the interplay between language, culture, and health, this interdisciplinary approach to the Medical Humanities aims to improve the healthcare experience directly through patient-provider communication. As the field of Medical Humanities continues developments toward patient-centered care, the integration of Sociolinguistics can only be beneficial, as it seeks to understand the effect of one's background on their speech style and perception. Gaining insight from the field of sociolinguistics can help medical humanists and professionals navigate cultural diversity between patients, fostering their trust and satisfaction. To embrace sociolinguistic concepts such as diglossia and gender brings one closer to truly understanding their patients, allowing for more meaningful interactions. Through the combination of these fields, ethical considerations in healthcare are further elucidated, as language's role in shaping perceptions and stigma related to health conditions is examined. One of the many goals of Medical Humanities is to have a better grasp on the human experience of illness. To achieve this, a certain level of human connection needs to be acquired. A proper understanding of Sociolinguistics will enhance the toolkit of a medical humanist as they navigate through linguistic diversity within their patients. This literature review seeks to provide a surface-level lesson on the nature of Sociolinguistics, highlighting its key concepts that can help better the craft of a medical humanist, as well as the field of Medical Humanities in its entirety.
Bettering the Medical Humanities through the Integration of Sociolinguistics: An Interdisciplinary Approach
By recognizing the interplay between language, culture, and health, this interdisciplinary approach to the Medical Humanities aims to improve the healthcare experience directly through patient-provider communication. As the field of Medical Humanities continues developments toward patient-centered care, the integration of Sociolinguistics can only be beneficial, as it seeks to understand the effect of one's background on their speech style and perception. Gaining insight from the field of sociolinguistics can help medical humanists and professionals navigate cultural diversity between patients, fostering their trust and satisfaction. To embrace sociolinguistic concepts such as diglossia and gender brings one closer to truly understanding their patients, allowing for more meaningful interactions. Through the combination of these fields, ethical considerations in healthcare are further elucidated, as language's role in shaping perceptions and stigma related to health conditions is examined. One of the many goals of Medical Humanities is to have a better grasp on the human experience of illness. To achieve this, a certain level of human connection needs to be acquired. A proper understanding of Sociolinguistics will enhance the toolkit of a medical humanist as they navigate through linguistic diversity within their patients. This literature review seeks to provide a surface-level lesson on the nature of Sociolinguistics, highlighting its key concepts that can help better the craft of a medical humanist, as well as the field of Medical Humanities in its entirety.