[ecrea] Health Communication PhD Scholarship and Bursary

Health Communication PhD focusing on obesity related issues.


This is a great opportunity to be part of a major, three year,
nationally (UK) funded research project looking into the whole system
approach to obesity http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/wholesystemsobesity


The communication themed PhD scholarship is focussed on 'Challenging
resistance to obesity communication'


The key question this PhD aims to address is how can strategic
communication help organisations tackle the challenges associated with
the broad concept of uncertainty and the specific case of obesity
communication?

Organisational leaders in public and private settings linked to obesity
discourse confront the challenge of operating in uncertain environments.
This is a context characterised by a complexity which is shaped by
mediatisation, globalisation, rapidly developing communication
technology and ‘wicked’ health problems such as obesity. To address
these challenges organisations need to engage and collaborate with a
wide range of stakeholders, learn from these interactions and then adapt
rapidly to changing conditions.

These strategic responses emphasise the critical role that communication
should play in organisational resilience, as well as highlighting its
role in tackling some of the most important issues confronting society.
  Despite this imperative both public and private sector organisations
are often criticised for pursuing instrumental objectives in their
communication strategies, such as prioritising perception management
over relationship management.

The PhD research outputs could address new knowledge issues associated
with communication theory and practice development, communication
strategy and orientation, the cultivation of key capabilities, new tools
and techniques, as well as influencing leadership development. The PhD
could explore innovative engagement methods that build social capital
amongst individuals and groups, stakeholder collaboration to resolve
complex, wicked problems such as obesity, as well as the broader
communicative issues associated with corporate social responsibility.

The PhD could apply research from complexity science and behavioural
economics, communication theory and practice to address the challenges
associated with uncertainty and it may also highlight the crucial role
communication plays in coping with uncertainty and the support it
provides to other health disciplines.

Please contact Professor Ralph Tench at Leeds Beckett University in the
UK for further details
Email: (R.Tench /at/ leedsbeckett.ac.uk)


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