Linguistic and Cultural Mediation in Healthcare Environments
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
This professional skills workshop aims to develop and strengthen specific cross-cutting skills. The abilities learned will help students through their education and enable them to acquire an initial toolkit of skills for a given professional field. These also include the general interpersonal and communication skills that are required for the world of work.
Expected learning outcomes
The professional skills workshop uses interactive and participative teaching methods to develop specific knowledge and skills in selected professional fields. This didactic approach aims to strengthen teamworking, knowledge sharing and problem-solving abilities, while also helping students to practically apply the skills and knowledge they have gained previously within a specific practical setting.
The workshop is open to a limited number of participants, enabling the organisation and monitoring of individual and group work so as to create the best possible opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and understanding gained.
Participants will gain an awareness of the workshop's underlying themes, giving them a grounding from which to form their own personal opinion on the topic at hand.
The workshop is open to a limited number of participants, enabling the organisation and monitoring of individual and group work so as to create the best possible opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and understanding gained.
Participants will gain an awareness of the workshop's underlying themes, giving them a grounding from which to form their own personal opinion on the topic at hand.
Lesson period: First week
Assessment methods: Giudizio di approvazione
Assessment result: superato/non superato
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First week
Course syllabus
The workshop will take place during the week of 17-21 February 2025, following the schedule below:
Day 1: Theoretical Foundations of Linguistic and Cultural Mediation in Healthcare
Activity:
· Mini-lesson: Sociological perspectives on health inequalities and how social factors influence communication.
· Role Play 1: A scenario where a low-income patient faces difficulties accessing healthcare. Mediators assist the patient in overcoming socio-economic constraints and language barriers.
· Group Discussion: How do social determinants of health affect patients' experiences and communication needs?
Day 2: Cultural Competence and Sensitivity
Activity:
· Mini-lesson: Theories of culture and social interactions, and their impact on health communication.
· Role Play 2: Students mediate a culturally sensitive interaction where a patient's cultural beliefs about illness (e.g., folk medicine) conflict with modern medical advice.
· Group Discussion: How do social factors such as class, race, and gender shape the need for mediation in healthcare?
Task:
Research a cultural group (e.g., an ethnic minority) and present how social and cultural structures influence its health beliefs and practices. Discuss the potential role of mediation in addressing these issues.
Day 3: Language Barriers and Medical Terminology - Linguistic, Cultural, and Sociological Perspectives
Activity:
· Mini-lesson: Sociolinguistic theories and their application to language mediation in healthcare.
· Role Play 3: A scenario in which a patient struggles with medical jargon, and the mediator must simplify the information while maintaining cultural relevance.
· Group Discussion: How do power dynamics in language usage affect the patient's autonomy and comprehension?
Task:
Translate a short medical document into another language, analyzing how sociolinguistic factors (e.g., power, class, social stratification) influence the translation process.
Day 4: Ethical Considerations in Healthcare Mediation
Activity:
· Mini-lesson: Sociological theories on ethics and justice in healthcare.
· Role Play 4: A scenario involving a patient from a marginalized community whose healthcare decisions are shaped by ethical and social inequalities. Mediators must navigate these dynamics while maintaining neutrality.
· Group Discussion: How do inequality and ethical considerations impact healthcare mediation?
Task:
Write a brief reflection on an ethical dilemma in health mediation, incorporating perspectives on inequality and justice.
Day 5: Practical Applications
Activity:
· Role Play: An advanced final scenario where students mediate a health crisis involving multiple social factors (e.g., legal status, gender, and class). Mediators must apply sociological insights, cultural competence, and ethical considerations to resolve the situation.
· Final Role-Play Workshop: Participants design and execute a mediation scenario that incorporates sociological, linguistic, and cultural complexities. Each group will present their scenario, demonstrating the application of theoretical knowledge to practical mediation.
· Peer Feedback Session: Participants will provide constructive critiques of each other's mediation techniques, evaluating them through sociological and cultural frameworks.
Timetable
17.02.2025 h 9.30-13.30 classroom T7
18.02.2025 h 9.30-13.30 classroom T7
19.02.2025 h 9.30-13.30 classroom T7
20.02.2025 h 9.30-13.30 classroom T7
21.02.2025 h 9.30-13.30 classroom T7
Day 1: Theoretical Foundations of Linguistic and Cultural Mediation in Healthcare
Activity:
· Mini-lesson: Sociological perspectives on health inequalities and how social factors influence communication.
· Role Play 1: A scenario where a low-income patient faces difficulties accessing healthcare. Mediators assist the patient in overcoming socio-economic constraints and language barriers.
· Group Discussion: How do social determinants of health affect patients' experiences and communication needs?
Day 2: Cultural Competence and Sensitivity
Activity:
· Mini-lesson: Theories of culture and social interactions, and their impact on health communication.
· Role Play 2: Students mediate a culturally sensitive interaction where a patient's cultural beliefs about illness (e.g., folk medicine) conflict with modern medical advice.
· Group Discussion: How do social factors such as class, race, and gender shape the need for mediation in healthcare?
Task:
Research a cultural group (e.g., an ethnic minority) and present how social and cultural structures influence its health beliefs and practices. Discuss the potential role of mediation in addressing these issues.
Day 3: Language Barriers and Medical Terminology - Linguistic, Cultural, and Sociological Perspectives
Activity:
· Mini-lesson: Sociolinguistic theories and their application to language mediation in healthcare.
· Role Play 3: A scenario in which a patient struggles with medical jargon, and the mediator must simplify the information while maintaining cultural relevance.
· Group Discussion: How do power dynamics in language usage affect the patient's autonomy and comprehension?
Task:
Translate a short medical document into another language, analyzing how sociolinguistic factors (e.g., power, class, social stratification) influence the translation process.
Day 4: Ethical Considerations in Healthcare Mediation
Activity:
· Mini-lesson: Sociological theories on ethics and justice in healthcare.
· Role Play 4: A scenario involving a patient from a marginalized community whose healthcare decisions are shaped by ethical and social inequalities. Mediators must navigate these dynamics while maintaining neutrality.
· Group Discussion: How do inequality and ethical considerations impact healthcare mediation?
Task:
Write a brief reflection on an ethical dilemma in health mediation, incorporating perspectives on inequality and justice.
Day 5: Practical Applications
Activity:
· Role Play: An advanced final scenario where students mediate a health crisis involving multiple social factors (e.g., legal status, gender, and class). Mediators must apply sociological insights, cultural competence, and ethical considerations to resolve the situation.
· Final Role-Play Workshop: Participants design and execute a mediation scenario that incorporates sociological, linguistic, and cultural complexities. Each group will present their scenario, demonstrating the application of theoretical knowledge to practical mediation.
· Peer Feedback Session: Participants will provide constructive critiques of each other's mediation techniques, evaluating them through sociological and cultural frameworks.
Timetable
17.02.2025 h 9.30-13.30 classroom T7
18.02.2025 h 9.30-13.30 classroom T7
19.02.2025 h 9.30-13.30 classroom T7
20.02.2025 h 9.30-13.30 classroom T7
21.02.2025 h 9.30-13.30 classroom T7
Prerequisites for admission
No prior knowledge or competencies are required.
Teaching methods
· Understanding: Demonstrated through class participation and role-playing activities.
· Role-playing: Engagement in role-playing exercises, with a focus on applying sociological, linguistic, and cultural theories.
· End-of-session assignments: Comprehensive case analyses, evaluated by the instructor using sociological, linguistic, and cultural frameworks.
· Feedback: Assessment of mediation techniques through the lens of social inequalities and power dynamics.
· Role-playing: Engagement in role-playing exercises, with a focus on applying sociological, linguistic, and cultural theories.
· End-of-session assignments: Comprehensive case analyses, evaluated by the instructor using sociological, linguistic, and cultural frameworks.
· Feedback: Assessment of mediation techniques through the lens of social inequalities and power dynamics.
Teaching Resources
All materials used during the workshop sessions (texts, slides, multimedia content, and bibliographical references) will be made available on the workshop's myARIEL website.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Assessment will be based on verification of attendance for a minimum of 16 out of 20 workshop hours, as well as participation in the assigned activities.
Evaluation criteria include active participation during class and in the completion of assignments, which will be graded after each session.
Evaluation criteria include active participation during class and in the completion of assignments, which will be graded after each session.
- University credits: 3
Professional training laboratories: 20 hours
Professor:
Ince Beqo Gul
Shifts:
Turno
Professor:
Ince Beqo GulProfessor(s)