From Awareness to Commitment in Public Health Campaigns: The Awareness Myth

(Hardback)

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Attempts to raise awareness on a multitude of health issues may actually be counter-productive and even dangerous to solving contemporary health problems. From Awareness to Commitment in Public Health Campaigns: The Awareness Myth discusses several myths of the benefits of raising awareness. Myleea Hill and Marceline Thompson-Hayes argue that using awareness as an end-point in public health campaigns is misguided and does more harm than good. They offer a model of the current awareness culture that simply leads to an ever-increasing cycle of awareness without behavioral change or sustained participation and support for causes. Then, they demonstrates how three factors (recognition involvement, knowledge-seeking and education, and participation) intersect to create commitment to solving and alleviating health problems through various methods of communication (social media, mass communication, and interpersonal communication).

Reviews

From Awareness to Commitment in Public Health Campaigns: The Awareness Myth contains well-researched evidence reminding us that awareness does not necessarily translate into action. The use of personal stories to illustrate major points in the book speaks to the readers heart and the authors provide scores of examples of effective strategies to break out of slacktivism and create effective health campaigns. This book is a solid guide for health communicators and is a must for courses in health communication, campaign development, or strategic communication. -- Michelle Miller-Day, Chapman University
In an approach that is well-evidenced and articulated, Hill and Thompson-Hayes critique awareness culture and propose a new communication model for enacting change in a digital age. More than a complementary text on health campaigns, this much-needed book addresses and seeks to remedy existing gaps in literature and practice. -- Katherine A. Foss, Middle Tennessee State University

Author Bio

Myleea Dawn Hill is professor of strategic communication in the Department of Communication at Arkansas State University. Marceline Thompson Hayes is professor of communication studies and chair of the Department of Communication at Arkansas State University.