Welcome to the CARE Lecture Series, where we bring together leading scholars, academics, thinkers, researchers, activists and practitioners to explore contemporary issues and innovations in the field of communication research. Our lectures cover a wide range of topics, offering insights and fostering discussions that are both informative and inspiring. Join us for these engaging sessions to expand your knowledge, connect with experts, and participate in the ongoing conversation about the future of communication research.
CARE is a global hub for communication research that uses participatory and culture-centered methodologies to develop community-driven communication solutions.
The Future Directions Of Applied Communication Research Lecture Series
As a precursor to the launch of the specialisation in Applied Communication under the Bachelor of Communication (BC), the lecture series will bring together leading academics from across the globe to discuss the role of applied communication research in addressing complex global challenges.
Director of CARE and former editor of the Journal of Applied Communication Research (JACR), Professor Mohan Dutta says, “The challenges we face as humanity today are fundamentally rooted in communication. I believe communication offers a powerful resource in bringing communities together and empowering them in leading transformational social change. You see this in the high demand for communication jobs across various sustainability spaces.”
“Applied communication showcases the best of communication theory and research and engages with communities and communication practitioners in co-creating solutions that address the complex challenges presented under the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. I am looking forward to engaging some of the key thinkers in this area as we grapple with the question ‘What are the best practices of Applied Communication that can respond to contemporary global challenges such as climate change, hunger, poverty, good health and wellbeing, gender equality, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities and peace, justice and strong institutions.”
Professor Dutta’s introduction to the series can be found here:
Read more: The Future Directions Of Applied Communication Research Lecture Series
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CARE Conversations on the Culture-Centred Approach Lecture Series
Introducing the CARE Conversations on the Culture-Centred Approach (CCA) Lecture Series
The Culture-Centred Approach (CCA) is a transformative framework in communication research, emphasizing the role of culture in shaping communication practices, health outcomes, and societal structures.
This theory challenges traditional top-down models of communication by centering the voices of marginalized communities in the co-construction of health and social policies. By focusing on the intersections of power, agency, and structure, CCA advances a critical understanding of how communication can address social inequalities and injustices.
The CCA method is grounded in participatory action research, working directly with communities to uncover their lived experiences and the systemic barriers they face. Through collaborative processes, CCA scholars co-create solutions and frameworks that are culturally relevant and locally situated, ensuring that communication interventions align with the needs of the people they intend to serve.
In practice, CCA research builds sustainable dialogues that challenge dominant discourses, emphasizing community agency and empowerment. Researchers engage with marginalized groups to amplify their voices, co-produce knowledge, and effect structural change in areas like health communication, environmental justice, and public policy. This bottom-up approach ensures that communication strategies are deeply rooted in the cultural contexts of the communities involved.
The CARE Conversations Lecture Series will explore the theoretical foundations, research methods, and practical applications of CCA, highlighting how it has been used to transform health communication and create lasting change.
Lecture 1: Building, Extending, and Evaluating Culture-Centred Scholarship: Insights from a Metatheoretical Systematic Review of CCA in Health Communication
Topic: Building, Extending, and Evaluating Culture-Centred Scholarship: Insights from a Metatheoretical Systematic Review of CCA in Health Communication
Speaker: Dr. Shaunak Sastry, Ph.D., Professor of Communication at the University of Cincinnati
Date: Monday, 23 September,2024
Time: 7 PM NZST
Location:
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About the Speaker:
Dr. Shaunak Sastry, Ph.D. is Professor of Communication at the University of Cincinnati and Director of The Cincinnati Project, a center for community-engaged research in the College of Arts & Sciences at UC. He is the 2024-2025 Provostal Fellow for community-engaged research at UC. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of critical health communication, globalization, and infectious disease politics. His award-winning research has been published in leading international peer-reviewed journals like Human Communication Research, Communication Theory, Health Communication, Journal of Health Communication, Communication Monographs, Culture, Health & Sexuality, Frontiers in Communication, and Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, in addition to several book chapters and more than 50 paper presentations at national and international conferences. He is a senior editor of the journal Health Communication and sits on the editorial board of several other leading academic journals. He is the Chair of the National Communication Association’s (NCA) Research Council and serves on its Executive Committee. Dr. Sastry teaches courses in health communication, globalization, and research methods at the undergraduate and graduate level in the School of Communication, Film & Media Studies at UC.
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