Communication ETDs

Publication Date

Fall 11-15-2022

Abstract

There are burgeoning numbers of elderly and a significant number of their adult children provide them with some level of care. To date, there has been little research on elderly parents’ perspective as they communicate with their adult children about the care provided by their children. This dissertation addresses this gap by identifying the nature of the communication, as portrayed in film, which occurs between an elderly parent (EP) and their caregiving adult child (AC).

In addition to identifying the nature of communication between an EP and their AC, I examine the similarities/differences of their communication among the films. I use Communication frameworks that are both theoretical and methodological and focus first on the Ethnography of Communication (EOC) (Hymes, 1964, 1972, 1974). The EOC emphasizes the patterned ways of speaking, focuses on the situated context of the discourse, and highlights the culture of the speakers and the culture of the context where communication is constructed. Along with the EOC, I utilize the Cultural Discourse Analysis (CuDA) (Carbaugh, 2007, 2016, 2017) which has a strong foundation in the EOC and which is also places a strong emphasis on the contextual importance of discourse and recognizes that culture and communication are inextricable.

The results of this study indicated that CuDA is useful to examine the communication and elucidate the messages of characters portrayed in film. In addition, these results suggest that CuDA can be used to discover the meanings of messages between actual EPs and their vii AC as it pertains to their caregiving relationship. Moreover, with CuDA’s emphasis upon culture’s inextricability with communication, the CuDA process could be used in the future to determine if a culture of caregiving exists between EPs and their AC and could further identify how that caregiving culture is constructed. Finally, with regard to CuDA and research implications, a study could be developed to examine if the communication between EPs and their AC in a caregiving relationship, as portrayed in films in other countries; i.e., is there a cross-cultural filial caregiving culture? This study offers implications for EP/AC caregiving relationships and provides insight into the strong desire of EP to live in their own home and without outside caregiver support. This further suggests that different messaging needs to be constructed to allow EPs to accept and explore living options when they are older, which may allow EPs to continue to live in their own homes. With the increases in EPs, this study has widespread implications for their AC’s decision-making outcomes.

Language

English

Keywords

Cultural Discourse Analysis, Filial Caregiving

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Communication

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Department of Communication and Journalism

First Committee Member (Chair)

David Weiss

Second Committee Member

David Keating

Third Committee Member

Judith Mackintosh White

Fourth Committee Member

Julie Griffin Salvador

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