Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-170).

Translation in Africa has been studied mostly through the prism of postcolonialism and literary studies. Some scholars have argued that this approach restricts translation studies scholarship on and about the continent. The gist of the postcolonial approach lies in the inherent power relations that exist in the inevitable cross-cultural contact arising from colonialism. Of late, some scholars have suggested that it is time to move beyond the post-colony. It is against such a backdrop that this dissertation broaches the study of translation phenomena in Africa from a developmental perspective. This thesis argues that the postcolonial era is not monolithic and that the African condition has evolved over the years. While it acknowledges the legacy of colonialism with all of its devastating consequences, the study understands the concept of the developmental context to offer the perspective of a continent in charge of its own destiny in contrast to the perspective that sees only a victim. Accordingly, this study seeks to explore translation practices within a developmental context and concentrates on one of the most important development issues: health. In line with global health priorities that now approach health from a preventive rather than a curative perspective, health promotion and communication have become central to the development agenda. This dissertation therefore discusses the historical, political, linguistic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors that inevitably affect translation in public health communication in Zambia and, to a lesser extent, the southern African region. While emphasizing the sociological context of the case study, this research takes translation as a cluster concept and a communicative act in order to investigate how translation is practiced. The research involves a contextual analytic exploration of a few selected health communication products. Drawing on Jakobson’s three types of translation, descriptive translation studies, and functionalist theories, this dissertation brings to light the importance of intersemiotic translation in societies that are anchored in oral culture.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed October 10, 2007). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 291-305).

Studies across countries emphasizes that communication barriers can severely hinder access to health care services by migrants, leading to health inequities. The aim of this explorative research was to gain a deeper understanding of migrants’ perspectives on public health communication in Jönköping, Sweden. Empirical data has been gathered through multicultural focus groups with migrants from countries outside Europe, living in the county of Jönköping. The data has been analyzed using Braun & Clarke’s six step model for thematic analysis and from the theoretical framework of a Culture-Centered Approach to health communication, as presented by Mohan Dutta.  The findings revealed communication barriers that hinder groups of migrants from accessing the public health communication and advice for improvement that could increase access and trust. The Swedish language, low digital use and limited digital skills as well as low trust towards the Swedish system are prominent obstacles that affect the communication processes in different layers. The participants express the need for a more flexible health system to increase access and prefer communication in native language verbally or printed. For those who use digital health communication, they want the Region to search engine-optimize in their native languages to ease the process of finding the right sources. Furthermore, authoritarian doctors as messengers of health communication are preferred. The health communication participants have received from the Region’s health communicators in their native language is presented to be a tool for increased trust and understanding. Their methods enable a participatory communication flow. To continue the development of participatory communication activities can be one way of combating the barriers faced by some groups of migrants. It is clear that a “one size fits all-communication approach”, with a focus on digital Swedish public health communication does not succeed to reach this target group. The communication barriers need to be understood from an organizational perspective. It is essential that migrants are invited to influence strategies, innovations and systems. In order to reduce the health gap, the Region needs to listen actively to migrants and engage them to co-create solutions that promote access and trust.