
A Multi-Perspective Approach to Narratives in Health Communication
Julie E. Volkman(Editor)
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published on 10. July 2025
Book
Hardback
282 pages
978-1-6669-2855-6 (ISBN)
Description
This edited volume offers an accessible avenue for improving health and well-being by demonstrating the power of narrative in advocating for yourself, your family, and your community. Leading scholars of health communication draw on a variety of perspectives, theories, and methodologies and incorporate their own personal experiences of narratives to demonstrate the compelling reasons why narratives should be studied and applied in a wide range of health contexts. Each chapter contains future directions for advancing research and applying narratives to encourage readers to explore what narratives for health mean for themselves and others.
Reviews / Votes
Engaging and passionate, A Multi-Perspective Approach to Narratives in Health brings together leading voices to illuminate how stories shape health across contexts-clinical, personal, cultural, and digital. This rich, interdisciplinary collection offers invaluable insights for scholars, practitioners, and anyone seeking deeper understanding of narrative's vital role in fostering empathy and well-being. * Laura L. Ellingson, the Patrick A. Donohoe, S.J. Professor of Communication, Santa Clara University, USA * This book unveils the transformative power of stories and personal narratives in fostering human well-being. Weaving together theory, in-depth descriptions, arts-based research, and robust studies, it demonstrates the profound impact of narrative on our lives. Exploring connections across scientific research, clinical practice, and entertainment media, the book reveals how harnessing the power of story can unlock deeper understanding and improve overall quality of life. Ultimately, it provides a compelling case for the centrality of narrative in the human experience. * Michelle Miller-Day, Professor, School of Communication, Chapman University, USA * Headlined by a scholar whose work has long inspired much narrative scholarship, Julie Volkman's book showcases the scholarship of numerous important authors who have led our understanding of the fundamental role of narratives in the communication construction of relational processes. I have followed the work of these scholars for decades and was delighted to read this volume, which brings important topics together in an insightful and provocative volume. The work presented in this book is groundbreaking and will help guide future development of narrative understanding. I am especially impressed by the theoretical framing of the scholarship presented herein. I am confident that readers will find insight and inspiration in this volume. * Teresa L. Thompson, Professor Emeritus of Communication, University of Dayton, USA, and Founding Editor, Health Communication *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
10 tables
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
566 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6669-2855-6 (9781666928556)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
07/2025
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€98.99
Available for download

E-Book
07/2025
Bloomsbury Academic
€98.99
Available for download
Persons
Julie E. Volkman is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Language Studies and Faculty Fellow at the Center for Health and Behavioral Sciences at Bryant University. She is also Adjunct Associate Professor in the Division of Health Informatics and Implementation Science at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.
Content
Chapter 1: Identity Formation: Intraindividual and Interindividual Processes across the Lifespan
Diliara Bagautdinova and Amanda Kastrinos
Chapter 2: Confronting our Ultimate Fear Through Narrative: Death Portrayals in Entertainment and Acceptance of Death
Anneke deGraaf and Enny Das
Chapter 3: There's No Place Like Home: Narrative Resources for Soul Hunger Healing
Jill Yamasaki and Laura Laine
Chapter 4: Narratives in Doctor-Patient Communication
Chiarra Fioretti
Chapter 5: The Temporal and Imaginative Nature of Narrative Sensemaking: The Worlding of Possibilities among Mis/fits
Lynn M. Harter, Jill Yamasaki, and Patty Mitchell
Chapter 6: "The Beautiful Awful": How Communicated Narrative Sense-Making about Difficulty and Illness Relates to Health and Well-Being
Jody Koenig Kellas and Cassidy Taladay-Carter
Chapter 7: The Development and use of Digital Story Banks to Foster Place-Based Narrative Labor
Lynn M. Harter, Hylie Voss, Megan Westervelt, Colin Cameron, Chuck Kaminski, Jorge Castillo-Castro, Anthony Acheampong, and Francis Ametepey
Chapter 8: Storytelling Narrative Communication and Community-Based Intervention Research
Rosanna DeMarco, Mary E. Cooley and Sun S. Kim
Chapter 9: Exemplification Theory
Elisabeth Bigsby and Minhey Chung
Chapter 10: Entertainment-Education Theory: A Story in Five Acts
Callie Kalny, Nathan Walter and Robin Nabi
Chapter 11: Implementing Family-Centered Care Through Narrative: Meeting Families Where They Are to Promote Healthier Outcomes
Carla Fisher and Gemme Campbell-Salome
Conclusion
About the Editor and Contributors
Diliara Bagautdinova and Amanda Kastrinos
Chapter 2: Confronting our Ultimate Fear Through Narrative: Death Portrayals in Entertainment and Acceptance of Death
Anneke deGraaf and Enny Das
Chapter 3: There's No Place Like Home: Narrative Resources for Soul Hunger Healing
Jill Yamasaki and Laura Laine
Chapter 4: Narratives in Doctor-Patient Communication
Chiarra Fioretti
Chapter 5: The Temporal and Imaginative Nature of Narrative Sensemaking: The Worlding of Possibilities among Mis/fits
Lynn M. Harter, Jill Yamasaki, and Patty Mitchell
Chapter 6: "The Beautiful Awful": How Communicated Narrative Sense-Making about Difficulty and Illness Relates to Health and Well-Being
Jody Koenig Kellas and Cassidy Taladay-Carter
Chapter 7: The Development and use of Digital Story Banks to Foster Place-Based Narrative Labor
Lynn M. Harter, Hylie Voss, Megan Westervelt, Colin Cameron, Chuck Kaminski, Jorge Castillo-Castro, Anthony Acheampong, and Francis Ametepey
Chapter 8: Storytelling Narrative Communication and Community-Based Intervention Research
Rosanna DeMarco, Mary E. Cooley and Sun S. Kim
Chapter 9: Exemplification Theory
Elisabeth Bigsby and Minhey Chung
Chapter 10: Entertainment-Education Theory: A Story in Five Acts
Callie Kalny, Nathan Walter and Robin Nabi
Chapter 11: Implementing Family-Centered Care Through Narrative: Meeting Families Where They Are to Promote Healthier Outcomes
Carla Fisher and Gemme Campbell-Salome
Conclusion
About the Editor and Contributors