Facing Defacement: Factors influencing indigenous patients in provider-patient communication in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala

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, regaño-ing, and abusing.

Name thesis:degree_name

Communication

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Communication and Journalism

Year

2009

Author dc:creator

• Burton, Laura L.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Schuetz, Janice
• Lutgen-Sandvik, Pamela
• Rao, Nagesh
• Schaefer, Richard

• Health Communication
• Intercultural Communication
• Indigenous Health
• Face
• Defacement
• provider-patient communication

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cj_etds/57

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalrepository.unm.edu:cj_etds-1056