Power and Privilege in Interpersonal Communication

The current ANS featured article, available to download at no cost, is titled “Power and Privilege: A Critical Analysis of Interpersonal Communication in Health Care as a Guide for Oncology Patient Navigation in Breast Cancer Care“, authored by Sarah F. Gallups, PhD, MPH, RN; Deborah Ejem, PhD, MA; and Margaret Q. Rosenzweig, PhD, CRNP-C, AOC,NP, FAAN. The following is a message from Dr. Gallups about this work:

Communication is a core competency in oncology care and a heavily discussed topic for healthcare professionals. Additionally, much of this information and research is applied broadly and in many different contexts. During my PhD program, I started taking classes and learning more about Critical Race Theory and Feminist theories. It made me start to question whether important voices were being left out of oncology care conversations, particularly those related to interpersonal communication. When I started this critical concept analysis, I intended to focus solely on looking at interpersonal communication through a critical lens specific to oncology care. However, the lack of literature analyzing the intersections of race, class and gender in health communication is vast. I hope that this article not only highlights that gap but also emphasizes the many areas and opportunities that exist for enhancing our communication to promote more equity in oncology care and considering a wider frame in our traditional conceptualizations related to health communication.