{"id":{"repo_id":"unm","oai_identifier":"oai:digitalrepository.unm.edu:cj_etds-1056"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/unm/oai:digitalrepository.unm.edu:cj_etds-1056","repository":{"repo_id":"unm","name":"University of New Mexico","base_url":"https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Facing Defacement: Factors influencing indigenous patients in provider-patient communication in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala","abstract":"The purpose of this ethnographic research was to explain the factors influencing Achi patients in provider-patient interactions in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. I explored the complex intercultural challenges influencing the interactions between biomedically-trained providers and indigenous patients. Data collection involved participant observation and twenty-four informal field interviews in Guatemala. I utilized thematic analysis to identify and understand the factors influencing Achi patients when interacting with health care providers. Findings reveal that the Achi patients are influenced in provider-patient interactions by the reciprocal interaction among four major factors: environment, beliefs, emotional effect, and experiences. In addition, subthemes were identified for each of the major factors. A central finding of this research was a new construct, defacement, which is purposeful communication that dehumanizes by destroying other-face. Four levels of defacement, each increasing in intensity and dehumanizing content, emerged from the data: disregarding, degrading, rega&ntilde;o-ing, and abusing.","abstract_html":"The purpose of this ethnographic research was to explain the factors influencing Achi patients in provider-patient interactions in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. I explored the complex intercultural challenges influencing the interactions between biomedically-trained providers and indigenous patients. Data collection involved participant observation and twenty-four informal field interviews in Guatemala. I utilized thematic analysis to identify and understand the factors influencing Achi patients when interacting with health care providers. Findings reveal that the Achi patients are influenced in provider-patient interactions by the reciprocal interaction among four major factors: environment, beliefs, emotional effect, and experiences. In addition, subthemes were identified for each of the major factors. A central finding of this research was a new construct, defacement, which is purposeful communication that dehumanizes by destroying other-face. Four levels of defacement, each increasing in intensity and dehumanizing content, emerged from the data: disregarding, degrading, rega&amp;ntilde;o-ing, and abusing.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Burton, Laura L."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Communication","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Department of Communication and Journalism","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Schuetz, Janice","Lutgen-Sandvik, Pamela","Rao, Nagesh","Schaefer, Richard"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2009-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:26:00Z","subjects":["Health Communication","Intercultural Communication","Indigenous Health","Face","Defacement","provider-patient communication"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cj_etds/57"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cj_etds/57","href":"https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cj_etds/57","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1928/10351","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Schuetz, Janice","Lutgen-Sandvik, Pamela","Rao, Nagesh","Schaefer, Richard"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Burton, Laura L."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Communication and Journalism"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis","Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Communication"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Health Communication","Intercultural Communication","Indigenous Health","Face","Defacement","provider-patient communication"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1928/10351","https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cj_etds/57"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this ethnographic research was to explain the factors influencing Achi patients in provider-patient interactions in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. I explored the complex intercultural challenges influencing the interactions between biomedically-trained providers and indigenous patients. Data collection involved participant observation and twenty-four informal field interviews in Guatemala. I utilized thematic analysis to identify and understand the factors influencing Achi patients when interacting with health care providers. Findings reveal that the Achi patients are influenced in provider-patient interactions by the reciprocal interaction among four major factors: environment, beliefs, emotional effect, and experiences. In addition, subthemes were identified for each of the major factors. A central finding of this research was a new construct, defacement, which is purposeful communication that dehumanizes by destroying other-face. Four levels of defacement, each increasing in intensity and dehumanizing content, emerged from the data: disregarding, degrading, rega&ntilde;o-ing, and abusing."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Facing Defacement: Factors influencing indigenous patients in provider-patient communication in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Schuetz, Janice","Lutgen-Sandvik, Pamela","Rao, Nagesh","Schaefer, Richard"],"dc:creator":["Burton, Laura L."],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this ethnographic research was to explain the factors influencing Achi patients in provider-patient interactions in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. I explored the complex intercultural challenges influencing the interactions between biomedically-trained providers and indigenous patients. Data collection involved participant observation and twenty-four informal field interviews in Guatemala. I utilized thematic analysis to identify and understand the factors influencing Achi patients when interacting with health care providers. Findings reveal that the Achi patients are influenced in provider-patient interactions by the reciprocal interaction among four major factors: environment, beliefs, emotional effect, and experiences. In addition, subthemes were identified for each of the major factors. A central finding of this research was a new construct, defacement, which is purposeful communication that dehumanizes by destroying other-face. 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