Parenting as politics: social identity theory and vaccine hesitant communities
Parenting as politics: social identity theory and vaccine hesitant communities
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DOI：
10.1108/ijhg-03-2017-0008
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发表时间：
2017-01-01
影响因子：
1.3
通讯作者：
Smith, David T.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Attwell, Katie;Smith, David T.
目的 - 本文的目的是开发一个理论框架，用于理解与父母犹豫和拒绝为孩子接种疫苗（“疫苗犹豫或拒绝”或“VHR”）相关的身份政治。了解这些身份政治有助于政策制定者制定适当的沟通干预措施，不会使问题变得更糟。 设计/方法论/途径 - 社会身份理论是一种理解群体身份如何围绕通常包括拒绝疫苗接种的生活方式发展的方式，以及这种群体身份如何因与支持疫苗接种的社会主流的冲突而加剧。本文批判性地评价了 VHR 的现有研究，以探索许多不同背景下的这种群体性。研究结果 - 群体性在许多不同的背景下都很明显。还有一些关键的群体特征：对自然分娩和母乳喂养的偏好、自然作为一个概念以及补充和替代医学的使用。研究局限性/影响 - 本文是推测性和理论性的，使用现有资源。未来的研究需要用新数据进行实证证明。然而，这种理论方法提出了一个新的研究议程。 社会影响 - 这些发现可以帮助政府和政策制定者最大限度地减少社会冲突，这种冲突可能会导致疫苗对话进一步两极分化，并使父母持观望态度。 原创性/价值 - 本文认为，是否接种疫苗的决定本质上是社会决定，而不是纯粹的个人理性问题。这是一种新颖的方法来处理通常被描述和研究为个人决策的问题。
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework for understanding the identity politics associated with parental hesitancy and refusal of vaccines for their children ("vaccine hesitancy or refusal" or "VHR"). Understanding these identity politics helps policymakers to craft appropriate communication interventions that do not make the problem worse.Design/methodology/approach - Social identity theory is a way of understanding how group identities develop around the lifestyle practices that often include refusal to vaccinate, and how this group identity is accentuated by conflict with the pro-vaccinating societal mainstream. This paper critically appraises existing studies of VHR to explore this groupness across many different contexts.Findings - Groupness is evident across many different contexts. There are also key group characteristics: preference for natural birth and breastfeeding, nature as a concept and use of complementary and alternative medicine.Research limitations/implications - The paper is speculative and theoretical, using existing sources. Future studies will need to demonstrate empirically with new data. However, this theoretical approach sets up a new research agenda.Social implications - These findings can help governments and policymakers minimise social conflict that risks further polarising vaccine conversations and wedging parents on the fence.Originality/value - This paper argues that the decision to vaccinate or not is an inherently social one, not a matter of pure individual rationality. This is a novel approach to engaging with what is often characterised and studied as an individual decision.